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STATE DOCUMENTS COLLECTION
Mi 2 81991
MONTANA STATE LIBRARY
1515 E- 6th AVE.
HELENA, MONTANA 59620
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1
RISK REDUCTION
SUBSTANCE USE AND ABUSE CURRICULUM GUIDE
Section I
ALCOHOL EDUCATION
Compiled by
Helga Stimson
For
Gallatin County Health Department
Room 10 3, Courthouse
Bozeman, Montana 59715
Edward L. King, M.D., Health Officer
Jacquelyn Stonnell, R.N., Human Services Director
Funded From
The Maternal Child Health Services Block Grant
1984
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE
I. Introduction
A. Establishing the Need 1
B. The Goal 2
II. Classroom Activities
A. Grades K-2
1. Alcohol Education 3
2. Decisions and Values 8
3. Self-Concept 17
B. Grades 3-4
1. Alcohol Education 22
2. Decisions and Values. 29
3. Self-Concept 39
C. Grades 5-6
1. Alcohol Education 46
2. Decisions and Values 6 4
3. Self-Concept 74
D. Grades 7-8
1. Alcohol Education 8 2
2. Decisions and Values 103
3. Self-Concept 115
E. Grades 9-12
1. Alcohol Education 121
2. Decisions and Values 171
3. Self-Concept 198
III. Alcohol Education in Total Curriculum 206
IV. Alternatives to Alcohol Use 207
V. Information for Parents 214
VI. Recommended Films 221
VII. Bibliography 224
PREFACE
The following is Section I of a three-part risk reduction
curriculum guide on substance use and abuse. The entire
curriculum guide includes a section on alcohol, a section on
other drugs, and a section on tobacco. Prevention through
education is the primary concern.
The major emphasis in developing this curriculum guide
is to provide teachers with "hands-on" activities to be used
in the classroom. This guide is designed to implement alcohol
education into a school system every other year. However, it
should be noted that in many schools alcohol education may not
be offered on an every other year basis. Therefore, teachers
are encouraged to pick and choose activities throughout the
book based on what previous education the students have had.
ALCOHOL EDUCATION
Establishing the Need
Before determining what should be taught it is important
that teachers recognize a need for alcohol education. One major
reason why alcohol education is crucial is that alcohol use and
abuse by young people continues to be on the upswing. In recent
years, although marijuana use has increased in popularity, alcohol
is still the drug most commonly used by young individuals. Two
factors may account for this: first, alcohol is a socially
accepted drug used by most adults; second, parents tend to
encourage the use of alcohol because of the inaccurate belief
that "at least the kid isn't using drugs." Following are some
statistics on alcohol use among young people illustrating the
seriousness of the problem.
1. Age 13 is the average to begin drinking (Alcohol
& Health, p. 17) .
2. In 1982, 72% of all accidental deaths of young people
ranging from age 15 to age 24 in the state of Montana
were caused by alcohol related motor vehicle accidents
(Montana State Dept. of Institutions, p. 11) .
3. In 1983, 50% of all traffic deaths in Gallatin County
were alcohol related. Previous years were much higher.
(Gallatin County Coroner's Report)
4. Although teenagers tend to drink less often than
adults, they tend to consume larger quantities when
they do drink, resulting in potential acute alcohol
problems at an early age (Alcohol & Health, p. 17) .
Another reason alcohol education is so important is
that many young people are living with one or more alcoholics.
With no help, these children are highly likely to become
alcoholics themselves. Alcohol education may be the only means
by which these students receive help.
-1-
THE GOAL
The purpose of alcohol education is to help students learn
to function in our rapidly changing drug-oriented society without
developing a dependence on alcohol. The goal is to prevent the
following:
1. alcohol use at an early age;
2. injury or death caused by the misuse of alcohol; and
3. acute or chronic illness resulting from alcohol use.
Steps toward accomplishing the goal through alcohol
education include:
1. Providing knowledge about alcohol at an early age.
2. Providing students with communication skills to enable
them to function in our society without the use of
alcohol.
3. Increasing decision-making skills, thus giving students
a means of dealing effectively with peer pressure.
4. Developing healthy self-concepts.
5. Encouraging involvement in alternative "highs".
-2-
(llcokol tiucation
ALCOHOL EDUCATION
K-2
Students at the grades K-2 level are at a good age to
teach basic concepts about alcohol and how it affects people.
Unfortunately, because of the fact that few children are using
or experimenting with alcohol at this age, alcohol education is
usually neglected. Often overlooked are the children who are
living with problem drinkers. The risk is high that these
children will begin using alcohol at an early age and will
later develop problems because of their drinking. Alcohol
education is one means of attempting to prevent this from
happening.
At this level the alcohol concepts need to be very simple.
Key concepts to stress at the K-2 level include the following:
1. There are different types of alcohol.
2. Alcohol is a drug.
3. People can drink too much just as people can eat
too much.
4. Alcoholism is a disease.
-3-
Key Concept: Awareness of various types of alcohol.
DEFINING "ALCOHOL"
At this age, the students' exposure to alcohol may be
greatly varied. When hearing the term "alcohol", one student
may picture a bottle of rubbing alcohol, while another may
picture a dad coming home drunk. The following activity will
help clarify the different forms of alcohol.
ACTIVITY:
Ask the class "What do you think of when you hear the
word 'alcohol'?" After some sharing has taken place, explain
that there are different types of alcohol. For example:
1. Alcohol is a poisonous substance used in solvents,
antifreeze and other products.
2. Alcohol is a poisonous liquid used to cool body
surface (rubbing alcohol) .
3. Alcohol is a mind-altering drug which has been
purified for drinking. It is found in beer, wine,
and distilled liquor.
Ask the students where they would most likely find each
type of alcohol (i.e. in the garage, medicine cabinet, refriger-
ator) . Who uses these various types of alcohol and under what
circumstances?
-A-
Key Concept: Awareness that alcohol is a drug.
SUPERMARKET BAG
Fill a supermarket bag with the following empty containers:
(1) cold cereal box
(2) tissue box
(3) laundry bleach bottle
(4) an aspirin bottle
(5) a beer can
Have the bag sitting on your desk as the students come
into the room.
ACTIVITY:
Ask the students "If someone in your family came home
carrying a bag like this one, where would you think this person
had been? Is it easy or hard to shop in the supermarket? Why?
What did this person buy? Take one item from the bag at a
time, in the order listed above. Ask the children to identify
each item. Then ask the following questions for each item:
1. For whom in the family was the item bought?
2. Where is it kept in the house?
3. When is it used?
4. Is it important? Why?
5. Is it good for you? Will it make you healthy?
Point out that the beer can is as easy to open as a soda
can. How is beer like soda? How does it differ? Explain that
beer contains the drug alcohol, yet there is no warning label
on the can as there is on a cigarette pack. There is no
childproof cover as there is on the aspirin bottle. Why?
Discuss the state law stating the minimum age for the
purchase of beer. Ask the children where they learned about
all the things talked about today.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Introducing Alcohol Education In The
Elementary School K-4, pp. 10-11, Copyright, 1978, American
School Health Association, Kent, OH 44240.
-5-
Key Concept: Exploration of the consequences of excess amounts
of almost anything.
HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?
The following activity could be used to improve students '
decision-making skills by having them think of the consequences.
ACTIVITY:
1. Tell all the children to talk, turn on the record player,
TV, tape recorder, etc., to create noise. This should
be done at a tolerable noise level.
2. Discuss: Do you think it is noisy in the class? Are
you still able to hear each other? Do you think we
could have too much noise in the room?
3. Increase noise level to an unpleasant level.
4. Discuss: Do you think there was too much noise in the
class? Is some noise okay? How much is too much? Is
too much the same for everybody or can some children
tolerate more than others? What are some other things
we could have too much of?
- how much candy is too much candy?
- how much TV is too much TV?
- how much food is too much food?
- how much playing is too much playing?
- how much alcohol is too much alcohol?
5. Have the children draw pictures of something they really
like to eat. How much is enough for them? How much is
too much? Draw pictures of something they don't eat.
Flow much is too much of that?
6. Draw pictures of someone that has had too much of
an alcoholic beverage to drink. How do people act
when they have had too much to drink?
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Slightly modified from Montana Alcohol & Drug
Abuse Division, State of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol
Education: Grades K-6, Helena, MT. , Grade K-l, 1979, p. 24-25
-6-
Key Concept: Awareness of the disease concept of alcoholism
and where alcoholics can get help.
ALCOHOLISM
Many students are living with alcoholic parents. At a
young age children often do not understand what is happening
and will frequently blame themselves. The following activities
will help the students understand the disease concept of
alcoholism and make them aware of where the family and the
alcoholic may receive help.
ACTIVITIES:
Have the students draw pictures of a sick person.
Ask them the following questions.
a. When you see a sick person, what do you want to do?
b. How does a sick person usually feel?
c. How does a sick person get better?
Have the students draw pictures of an alcoholic. Explain
to them that most alcoholics do not look like they have
slept out in the street but look like normal everyday people,
Ask the students the following questions.
a. When you see an alcoholic, what do you want to do?
b. How does the alcoholic feel?
c. Would you treat an alcoholic the same as you would
a sick person?
Explain to the students that an alcoholic is really
a sick person who needs help (the disease concept of
alcoholism) . Treatment centers are places where
alcoholics can get help, just as hospitals are places
for sick people to get help. Treatment centers are
special hospitals for alcoholics.
Explain that once the alcoholic gets better, they need
help to stay healthy. Alcoholics Anonymous is an
organization which helps the alcoholic in this area.
Other family members can also receive support by
attending Alanon.
-7-
J).
east ons
Values
K-l
DECISIONS AND VALUES
K-2
Decision-making skills need to be developed at an early age
and continue being developed throughout life. The goal in
teaching decision-making skills is to help students do the
following:
1. Understand their role in making decisions.
2. Recognize other people who can help them make decisions.
3. Realize the risks involved in decision-making.
The process of making decisions involves the following
steps (It Starts With People, p. 24) :
1. Defining the problem.
2. Exploring possible alternative ways of resolving
the problem.
3. Looking at the consequences of the choices.
4. Choosing the alternative.
The purpose of values clarification is to help young people
build their own value system. Louis Rath, who formulated the
values clarification approach, broke the process of valuing
into three sub-processes (Simon, p. 19).
1. Prizing: cherishing to the point of being willing
to publicly affirm a belief.
2. Choosing: looking at the various alternatives, considering
the consequences, and choosing freely.
3. Acting: consistently and repetitiously acting on
one's beliefs.
Key Concept: Awareness of decisions which are made every day.
WHO DECIDES?
The following activities will help students become aware
of the many decisions they make for themselves each day.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Hand out the worksheet titled "Who Decides" to each
student. Either read the questions for the students
or have them read for themselves. Complete the worksheet.
2. Have the students share their answers. As the children
answer the questions, ask, "Could anyone else make this
decision?" The purpose is to help children realize
there are more decisions they can make.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Cooper, JoAnn, & others, Decision-Making ,
(TACT: Doylestown, PA, 1979), pp. 4-5.
-9-
WHO DECIDES?
Answer the questions by writing or drawing one of the
following:
Mother
Father
Friends
Me
Teacher
WHO DECIDES
What I wear to school?
What I have for breakfast?
Who I play with?
Whether or not I should do my homework?
What I should do for homework?
What my favorite food is?
What game I should play with my friends?
What I should do when there is no one to play with?
What my jobs at home are?
-10-
Key Concept: Awareness that we have help in making decisions,
DECISION-MAKING HELPERS
The following activity will help students identify various
factors that help us make decisions.
ACTIVITY:
For younger children, read the list of decisions to be made
and hold a discussion on where we get help in making the decisions,
For older students, have them match the decisions to be made with
the place to get help.
DECISIONS TO BE MADE:
1. What to order in a restaurant.
2. Whether to watch TV.
3. Where to buy a bike.
4. Whether to buy a pair of socks.
When to buy someone a birthday
present.
When to leave for home from
your friend's house.
Whether to buy a particular record.
Whether to plan on going
swimming tomorrow.
Which way is shortest from your
house to a hospital.
10. How to find out whether you are sick, j
WHERE TO GET HELP:
a. Price tag.
b. Map.
C. Weather forecast.
d. Thermometer.
e. Newspaper ads.
f. Last report card,
g-
h.
TV Guide
Radio
Calendar.
Menu
11. Whether to do your homework.
k. Clock
USED WITH PERMISSION: Chase, Larry; The Other Side of the
Report Card, (Scott, Foresman and Co.: Glenview, 111.,
1975) , p. 155.
-11-
Key Concept: Clarification of the possible consequences of
risk-taking.
RISK-TAKING
Many decisions involve taking risks. A person's choice
will depend on how great the risk is. Since making decisions
that involve risk are so much a part of everyday life, it is
important that children learn to recognize risks at an early
age and look at the possible consequences before making a decision.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Hold a class discussion about what "taking a risk"
means. Have individual students share activities that
they have done which involved some risk. Ask them to
give examples of risks that had bad consequences and
good consequences.
2. Hand out a copy of "What Risks Did They Take?" and
have various students describe what risks they believe
were taken by the people in the pictures. Were the
consequences good or bad for those involved?
3. From the page titled "Risk-Taking Situations", read
some of the various risk-taking examples. Encourage
the students to look at the possible good consequences
and the possible bad consequences. Have them share
with a partner what they would do in that given situation,
USED WITH PERMISSION: Taking Risks: Activities & Materials For
Teaching About Alcohol, Other Drugs, & Traffic Safety, Book I,
Elementary Ed. (California State Dept. of Education:
Sacramento, Ca. , 1979), pp. 19, 34.
-12-
What Risks Did They Take?
i
Situations
i
1 . You find a bottle of pills in the school cafeteria, and a friend
dares you to take one of them. Do you take it?
2 All the other kids are riding their bikes back and forth over
the train tracks — and you can hear the train coming. Do you ride
with them?
3. Your best friend shows you a cigarette he found. He asks
you to smoke it with him. Do you?
4 Another kid is swinging really high in the playground
dares you to swing higher. Do you?
5 Some older kids offer you and your friend a beer. Do you
take it?
6 A group of your friends invites you to sneak out at night and
go walking in the spooky woods with them. Do you go?
7. You see a new kid in school walking down the hall, and
you'd sort of like to meet him. Do you say hello?
8. Your friend dares you to run across a crowded freeway. Do
you?
9. Your friend tells you he's found the steepest hill in town and
asks if you'll go skateboarding with him there. Do you go?
10 It's summertime and a friend asks you to swim across a lake
to an island. Do you go along?
1 1 The P E teacher asks you if youVe interested in trying out for
the baseball team. A lot of your friends are on the team, and
youd like to do it, but you're not sure you'll make it Do you try
out?
1 2. Your big brother offers you a ride on his motorcycle, but he
doesn't have a helmet. Do you go?
1 3. Several friends of yours decide to jump from a high bridge
into a river — the bridge is about as high as a second-floor
window. Do you go with them?
1 4. Some of your friends have decided to go into a house that
they say is haunted. Do you go with them?
1 5. When you get into the car with your mom to go to the store,
she tells you that you can either use the seat belt or not, but you
know you would be safer if you use it. Do you take the "easy"
way and not use it?
16. You're up in the mountains. The only good hill for sledding is
full of skiers going very fast. Do you go sledding anyway?
1 7. YouVe never been on a roller coaster before, and your best
friend asks if you want to go along. Do you go?
1 8. This year for the first time you're big enough to ride the
scariest ride in the amusement park. Do you go?
1 9. A much older kid has been picking on one of your best
friends, and your friend asks if you'll help him fight the big kid. Do
you help?
20. Some of your friends have found a steep cliff that they want
to climb. Do you go with them?
Key Concept: Improvement of decision-making abilities,
THE SURPRISE
The following activity will provide students with an
opportunity to be involved in looking at alternatives before
making a decision.
ACTIVITY:
Read the story "Amy and the Surprise" to the class.
Have each student rank order their choices of gifts in
order of preference. Select individual students to
share which gifts they selected as their first and
last choices. Ask why they selected these.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: "Amy and the Surprise", Montana Alcohol & Drug
Abuse Division, State of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol
Education: Grades K-6 , (Helena, MT. , Grades K-l, pp. 5-6.
-15-
AMY AND THE SURPRISE
Amy is (five, six, seven, eight) years old. Her grandmother
has come to visit her and would like to surprise Amy by doing
something special for her. Amy's mother made a list of things
she knows Amy needs:
jacket - Amy's jacket is too small for her now and the
weather is getting too cold to wear just a shirt.
dentist - Amy has never been to the dentist to have her teeth
checked. There will be a special children's dental
clinic next week.
bicycle - Amy has been riding her friend's bicycle and would
love to have one of her own. There is a shiny red
one on sale this week.
books - Amy loves to read. She goes to the library to
borrow books, but would like to have some of her own.
trip - Amy has never been on a train. She has been to the
train station to pick up her grandmother and would
love to go for a train ride.
If you were the person to choose Amy's surprise, what would
you choose?
-16-
wBm
m
SELF-CONCEPT
K-2
A main reason for drinking is the feelings of well-being
one gets from alcohol. Development of a positive self-esteem
without the use of alcohol is crucial in the prevention of
alcohol abuse. The process of developing students' self-esteem
include activities which do the following (It Starts With People,
p. 24) :
1. Help students recognize and accept feelings.
2. Help individuals share aspects of themselves with others,
3. Help students accept individual differences.
-17-
Key Concept; Awareness of unique characteristics of individuals
to help develop a positive self-concept.
WHAT'S MY NAME? WHO KNOWS ME?
Explain to the children that we are different from one
another and each person is special. For example, our voices
are different; we can be recognized by them.
ACTIVITIES
One child is blindfolded. The teacher points to
another child who comes before the blindfolded child
and says in his natural voice "Who am I?" The
blindfolded child may guess three times. The child
whose identity is being discovered is blindfolded next,
Following the above activity, ask students to share
something else about themselves which makes them
special. (This may be a good time to have them make
thumbprints as another way of showing how we are
special and different from one another) .
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Harrison, Dorothy D. , Healthy, That's Me, Health
Education Curriculum Guide, Project Headstart, (U.S. Dept. of
Health, Education & Welfare: Washington, D.C., 1972), p. 21.
•18-
Key Concept: Awareness of what emotions are and how they affect
self-concept.
FREE TO BE YOU & ME
Society often plays down emotions as something that are
not good. This activity can help children understand that
emotions are a natural and healthy part of life and may be
expressed in various ways.
ACTIVITY:
The following parts of the body are used to show emotions.
Only the part indicated may be used.
1. Hands and arms only — children may touch one another,
but cannot say anything nor use facial expressions or
body postures to express emotions such as surprise,
anger, joy, love, fear.
2. Head — facial expression, head position and movement
and nonverbal sounds: growl, scream, grunt, laugh,
hum, etc., but no words.
3. Whole body — involve the whole body, posture, movement,
dancing, hopping, running, etc. , but not the voice.
Some emotions that can be used: Love, Joy, Anger, Fear,
Shyness, Hate, Hope, Surprise, Loneliness, etc.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Harrison, Dorothy D. , Healthy, That's Me, Health
Education Curriculum Guide, Project Headstart, (U.S. Dept. of
Health, Education & Welfare: Washington, D.C., 1972), p. 22.
-19-
Key Concept:
Enhancement of self-concepts through positive
comments .
FRIENDLY BUTTONS
The following activities will encourage children to develop
the habit of saying positive, caring things to each other. This
will contribute to the creation of an affective environment.
ACTIVITIES
1.
Duplicate a supply of the Friendly Button below and
place the buttons in a designated, accessible location.
Inform the children that you are granting each of them
a special, new power. Explain that each time a class-
mate makes an especially thoughtful or kind statement
or gesture, they may award that person a Friendly
Button. Show the children how to attach the buttons
by using a small piece of tape, folded over and affixed
to the back of the button.
At the end of the day, have a Friendly Button meeting
of all the class members. Invite the awardees to describe
to their classmates how they earned their buttons.
To make sure that all the children receive a button, you
may wish to have frequent button days. Be sure to
distribute several awards yourself to children who
rarely receive the honor.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Borba, Michele & Craig; Self-Esteem:
A Classroom Affair. Vol. 2, (Winston Press, Inc.: Minneapolis,
MN, 1982) , p. 33.
-20-
Key Concept: Enhancement of self-concept by student recognition
from teacher and classmates.
WHO AM I?
Every person needs recognition. It is expressed cogently
by the lad who says, "Mother, let's play darts. I'll throw the
darts and you say 'Wonderful'."
ACTIVITIES:
Have students write their own biographical information.
Include such things as talents, family happenings,
hobbies, favorite places, activities, etc. Write the
information on index cards.
Collect the cards. On occasion, read the cards at the
beginning or end of class. Include a teacher description,
also.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Beier, Barbara, "Enhancing Positive
Self-Concept Through Creativity in the Classroom", Health
Education, Vol 12, #2, Mar/April, 1981, p. 35.
-21-
Ulcofiol tlucatiott
ALCOHOL EDUCATION
3-4
Teaching alcohol education in grades 3-4 is important
because it preceeds the age when experimenting and peer
pressure become major factors. Prevention before the onset
of experimentation is the major goal.
As with grades K-2, alcohol education concepts should be
kept simple. Concepts to stress in grades 3-4 include the
following:
1. There are different ways to make alcoholic beverages.
2. Alcohol is a drug.
3. Alcohol is a depressant.
4. People drink for various reasons.
5. Children should not drink alcoholic beverages.
6. Alcoholism is a disease.
-22-
Key Concept: Awareness of what alcohol is and why kids should
not drink it.
WHAT IS ALCOHOL?
A question which may be asked by primary elementary students
may be "What is alcohol, anyway?" The following activities are
designed to answer that question.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Bring in a beer bottle, a shot glass, and a wine glass.
Ask the students which container they think would have
the most alcohol in it. Explain that the size of the
bottle does not necessarily indicate which one has the
most alcohol. Go on to explain that actually one bottle
of beer has about the same amount of alcohol as one glass
of wine or one shot of whiskey.
2. Explain the differences among these three types of
alcohol .
*Beer
- is brewed
is made from wheat, barley or rye combined with yeast.
*Wine
is fermented
is made from fruit (usually grapes) and yeast
*Liquor
is distilled
is made by evaporating most of the water out so
there is a greater alcohol content
3. Hold a discussion on why kids should not drink alcoholic
beverages. Point out the following:
a. Their bodies are smaller.
b. Their bodies are still growing.
-23-
Key Concept: Awareness that alcohol is a drug.
SEPARATE THE CANS
The following activity will help students recognize why
beer is different than pop or punch and why children should not
drink it.
ACTIVITY:
1. Assemble six empty cans: three beer cans (two popular,
one less well-known) and three soda pop or fruit punch
cans. Before the cans are shown to the class, ask the
following questions:
a. What is your favorite drink?
b. What is your second favorite drink?
c. What would you serve to your friends at a birthday
party?
d. If your parents were having a party, what would
they serve?
Now show the cans to the class. Ask a volunteer to separate
the cans, placing cans only grown-ups would be served at one
side of the desk and cans children could be served at the other.
Ask the student to explain his/her decision.
Ask the class if they know the difference between beer
and other drinks. Why don't girls and boys drink beer?
The teacher should explain to the class that beer, wine,
and whiskey contain a drug called alcohol. Like other drugs,
it can make a person sick if too much is taken. Other drugs
have warning labels on them indicating that they are drugs.
Beer, wine or whiskey have no warning signs. This is probably
one reason why children don't always know alcohol is a drug.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Introducing Alcohol Education In The
Elementary School K-4, p. 11, Copyright, 1978, American School
Health Association, Kent, Ohio 44240
-24-
Key Concept: Awareness that alcohol is a depressant.
BEER KNOWLEDGE SURVEY
The following activity could be used as a creative way to
approach an alcohol education unit.
ACTIVITY:
1. As a suggested introduction to this activity, build the
word "beer" on the chalkboard, starting with the first
two letters. Ask the children to explain each word
(eg, BE, BEE, BEER) .
Discuss with the class the following questions:
1. What can you tell me about beer?
2. Where do people get beer?
3. Why do people drink beer?
4. Girls and boys usually drink milk, orange juice,
soda pop; why not beer?
5. What happens if a person drinks too much beer?
6. How did you find out all the things you just
told me about beer?
As the children answer the fifth question with phrases
such as "walk funny", "gets sick", "can't talk right", "falls
asleep", explain what "depressant" means and discuss the
depressant effect that alcohol has on the body. Give examples
such as slurred speech and staggering to illustrate the point.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Modified from American School Health
Association, Introducing Alcohol Education in the Elementary
School, K-4, pp. 11-12, "Copyright, 1978, American School
Health Association, Kent, Ohio 44240".
-25-
Key Concept: History and facts about alcohol.
IF I SAID.
ACTIVITY:
Ask the children the following three questions, and then
discuss their answers. This activity could also be done by
writing the three key phrases on separate sheets of paper and
then letting the children write down their answers on these
pages as they think of them.
1. If I said "alcoholic beverages", tell me other words
you have heard that mean alcoholic beverages.
2. If I said "He's a big drinker", tell me other words
you have heard used for big drinker.
3. If I said "She's drunk", tell me other words you have
heard used for drunk.
For question 1, responses usually include "booze", a word
that has an interesting historical derivation. In the 1840s,
whiskey was put into commemorative bottles that became popular
collectors' items. One of these bottles, William Henry Harrison,
was filled with whiskey by a distiller named E. C. Booz. They
became known as Booze bottles, and the word is still in current
usage today.
For question 2, responses usually include "bum" which is
usually associated with a person living on the bowery, skid-row,
or in the streets. In reality, less than 5% of the estimated
10 million alcoholics in the United States are found there; the
remaining 95% are in all walks of life and are family members.
For each person with a drinking problem, three or four others in
the family are affected (almost 20% of the U.S. population). The
U.S. has the dubious distinction of recently having become the
world leader regarding the proportion of problem drinkers in
the population.
For question 3, responses usually include "tanked", "bombed",
"blasted". Point out the destructive nature of these words as
related to the effects on the body of too much ethyl alcohol
intake. Also point out the current trend toward males and
females having almost equal numbers of drinking problems and the
increasingly large number of teenage alcoholics.
USED WITH PERMISSION from American School Health Association,
Introducing Alcohol Education in the Elementary School K-4,
p. 12, "Copyright 1978, American School Health Association,
Kent, Ohio" 44240.
-26-
Key Concept: Exploration of why people do or do not drink.
WHY PEOPLE DO/DON'T DRINK
Alcohol is a socially accepted drug which is used by a
large percent of the adult population. Children need to
understand at an early age why some people drink and others
choose not to. This activity could be used as a step towards
helping children develop their own values on drinking.
ACTIVITY:
1. Discuss reasons why people do and do not use alcohol.
2. Students individually create mobiles whose theme is:
Reasons people use alcohol/reasons people do not use
alcohol. On each part of the mobile balance a reason
for using alcohol with a reason against.
3. Have the students illustrate using cartoon people and
decorate colorfully.
4. Share the mobiles with the class.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State
of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades K-6 ,
(Helena, Mt. , Grade 4, 1979, p. 19.)
-27-
Key Concepts:
Awareness that alcoholism is a disease.
Awareness that alcoholics are not "bad" people,
ALCOHOLISM IS A DISEASE
Society often portrays alcoholics as being "bad" people
who drink because they want to. More currently, however,
alcoholism is being viewed as a disease.
The following activity was designed to help children under-
stand the "disease" concept of alcoholism. This activity can be
particularly helpful for children who live with alcoholic parents
and are afraid to admit it.
ACTIVITY:
1. Explain that a disease is a condition which hinders the
natural functioning of the body. Have a box filled with
cards which list different types of diseases. Include
alcoholism in the box. Have each child draw a card and
tell the class what their disease is. Ask the children
to tell what people do to get better if they have that
disease. Ask them where they can go to get help.
2. When the card on alcoholism is named, explain that it
is considered a disease because even though alcoholics
often want to quit drinking, they can't because of the
intense craving their body has for alcohol. Discuss
where alcoholics can go to get help.
For example:
AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) a support group to help
people not drink
Treatment Centers (special hospitals for alcoholics]
One reason that many alcoholics do
not get help is that they deny that
they have a problem. At this age,
it is not unlikely that the
students will go home and talk
about alcoholism being a
disease. Those children who
are living with an alcoholic
could be put in a disturbing
conflict - that of believing
parents or teacher. There-
fore, teachers should be aware
of this and touch lightly
on the problem of denial.
-28-
i>
easwns
Vdfues
3-4
DECISIONS AND VALUES
3-4
Decision-making skills need to be developed at an early age
and continue being developed throughout life. The goal in teaching
decision-making skills is to help students do the following:
1. Understand their role in making decisions.
2. Recognize other people who can help them make decisions.
3. Realize the risks involved in decision-making.
The process of making decisions involves the following
steps (It Starts With People, p. 24) .
1. Defining the problem.
2. Exploring possible alternative ways of resolving
the problem.
3. Looking at the consequences of the choices.
4. Choosing the alternative.
The purpose of values clarification is to help young people
build their own value system. Louis Rath, who formulated the
values clarification approach, broke the process of valuing
into three sub-processes (Simon, p. 19).
1. Prizing; cherishing to the point of being willing
to publicly affirm a belief.
2. Choosing: looking at the various alternatives, con-
sidering the consequences, and choosing freely.
3. Acting: consistently and repetitiously acting on
one ' s beliefs.
-29-
Key Concept: Awareness of factors which help us make decisions.
MY CHOICES
Many factors determine how decisions are made. Sometimes
decisions are made for students by the school, by their parents,
by their friends, and by the laws. The following activity will
help students clarify what decisions are made by them and what
decisions are made by others.
ACTIVITY:
Brainstorm and make a list on the blackboard of others
who make decisions for us. Discuss whether this is
good or bad. Ask the students to think of decisions
they have made for themselves. Have the students
complete the handout titled "My Choices".
USED WITH PERMISSION: Taking Risks: Activities & Materials
For Teaching About Alcohol, Other Drugs, & Traffic Safety,
Book I, Elementary Ed. (California State Dept . of Education:
Sacramento, CA, 1979), p. 6.
- 30-
My Choices
i
Which one made me choose ,
Check the box.
1 . What I ate for breakfast □
2. Who my parents are |_J
3. Whether I came to school or not I I
4. Who I sit next to in class I I
5. Who I play with at recess I I
6. What I do in the classroom I I
7. The things I have fun doing all day I |
8. What I want to be when I grow up I I
9. The kinds of clothes I wear I I
1 0. My favorite make of car (if I have one) I I
1 1 . When I cross the street I I
1 2. The way I spent the last money I had I I
1 3. The way I would spend $5.00 if I had it \Z\
14. The kinds of people I like I I
1 5. The toothpaste I like I !
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Key Concept: Awareness that decision-making involves taking risks
RISK-TAKING
Students need to understand that some decisions are
difficult to make because of the risk involved. To determine
how risky a decision is, one must look at the consequences.
ACTIVITY:
Hold a discussion about what "taking a risk" means. Hand
out the worksheet entitled "Risk-Taking". Have the students
mark on the continuum how much risk is involved in the activities
listed on the worksheet.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Smith, Arden & Others, Giving Kids
A Piece of the Action, (TACT: Doylestown, PA, 1977) , p. 64
-32-
RISK-TAKING
Decision
To not do homework
Super Risky
To cheat on a test
Super Risky i
To try out for the basketball team
Super Risky | |
To ask to join a new group at recess
Super Risky | i
To volunteer to be chairman of a committee
Super Risky | |
To tutor a younger student in reading
Super Risky j_
To ask the teacher a personal question
Super Risky j
To tell your best friend, "No"
Super Risky
To spend your milk money on ice cream
Super Risky
10. To run down the hall
Super Risky
W
Risk Involved
No Risk at all
No Risk at all
No Risk at all
No Risk at all
No Risk at all
No Risk at all
No Risk at all
No Risk at all
No Risk at all
No Risk at all
-33-
Key Concept: The effects of peer pressure on decision-making.
JOHNNY DARE -ME
The object of the following activity is to help students
identify how peers influence their decisions and behaviors, and
possible ways of handling peer influence.
ACTIVITY:
1. Read "Johnny Dare-Me" story on the following page.
2. Hold a discussion using the following questions:
* What did Johnny's friend tell him to do?
* What were Johnny's choices?
* Why do you think Johnny listened to his friend even
though he knew he would get into trouble?
* Why do you think Johnny didn't scribble on the drawing
the last time?
* How do you think the friend felt about Johnny when
he didn't scribble on the drawing?
* How do you feel when you don't think someone likes
you? How do you feel when one of your friends won't
do something you want him/her to do?
* What can you do if your friends tell you to do some-
thing you don't want to do or you think is wrong to do?
3. Have children role-play the story showing alternative
ways Johnny might handle the situation. Role-play other
examples of peer influence often occurring in the classroom.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State
of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades K-6 ,
(Helena, Mt. , Grades K-l, 1979), pp. 19-20.
-34-
JOHNNY DAKE-ME
This story is about Johnny Dare-Me. He was (5, 6, 7) years
old. He lived in a house a lot like yours. Johnny had one
friend with whom he did everything — but, you know what? Johnny
was always getting into trouble. The first time I met Johnny
was the first day of school. I found him running and pushing
and knocking down the other kids coming to school. Johnny said
his friend told him to do it. Johnny and I had a long talk
about the kinds of things he could do at school and the kinds
of things he couldn't do. He agreed not to run and push anymore
because it isn't safe.
But, a little while later, I found him knocking down
block buildings which belonged to other children. It turned
out that he was dared to do it by his so-called friend. Another
time, Johnny landed in the nurse's office after his friend dared
him to drink some whiskey and it made him sick. Johnny kept
getting into trouble, thanks to his friend, because he always
did whatever his friend said.
Then one day I heard someone tell Johnny to start thinking
for himself and stop listening to his friend. Later that day,
Johnny came to me and told me his friend had told him to go and
scribble on someone else's drawing and he didn't do it.
-35-
Key Concept: Evaluation of risk factors and consequences of
decision-making .
DECISION-MAKING: WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
The following activities were designed to improve student
decision-making abilities, clarify attitudes and values, and
develop social responsibility.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Make copies of "What Would You Do?" and distribute to
the students. For each situation have them (a) write
all the alternatives possible; (b) write the risks
associated with each alternative; (c) make a list of
places to find more alternatives for advice; (d) make
a decision and list the reasons for the decision.
2. Do one problem orally as a class; e.g.,
You were playing baseball with a group of friends near
the school. You hit the ball harder than you intended
and broke a school window. You think that the friends
you are playing with are the only ones who saw it
happen. What would you do?
a. Alternatives c. Sources of help
b. Risks d. Your decision
3. Distribute the worksheets and have the class work individ-
ually to complete them. When everyone has finished,
discuss as a class. Make a composite list of all the
alternatives, risks, and places to find help. Discuss
differences in the risk factors and decisions listed
by students. How might thinking about risks first
influence your decisions?
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State
of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades K-6 ,
(Helena, Mt. , Grade 4, 1979), pp. 23-24.
-36-
->Tp~*.
II i j hi n mivn in n itm imth i t n i in
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
You are a member of the school safety patrol. Your partner
has left the post early for a dental appointment. Just as
you are getting ready to leave, a car runs into the street
sign on the corner. The driver appears to be seriously hurt,
and the car is blocking traffic. What would you do?
Alternatives:
Risks:
Help:
Your Decision:
You're visiting a friend. He/she shows you the place where
his/her parents keep their liquor. Your friend says , "Hey!
Let's make a drink! I know how. I've seen Mom and Dad mix
lots of them." The two of you are alone in the house. What
would you do?
Alternatives :
Risks:
Help:
Your Decision:
-37-
At Christmas time the PTA volunteered their time and painted
the hallways and rooms in your school. They look much nicer,
and you are proud of your PTA. One night after school, your
best friend takes a crayon and writes all over the new walls
in a fit of anger. You are the only one who saw your friend
do it. What would you do?
Alternatives:
Risks :
Help:
Your Decision:
-38-
SELF-CONCEPT
3-4
A main reason for drinking is the feelings of well-being
one gets from alcohol. Development of a positive self-esteem
without the use of alcohol is crucial in the prevention of
alcohol abuse. The process of developing students' self-esteem
include activities which do the following (It Starts With
People, p. 24) .
1. Help students recognize and accept feelings.
2. Help individuals share aspects of themselves.
3. Help students accept individual differences.
-39-
Key Concept: Awareness of both positive and negative aspects
of oneself.
INDIVIDUAL STRENGTHS & WEAKNESSES
The following activity will help students assess good
and bad qualities within themselves.
ACTIVITY:
Hand out the worksheet titled "My Strengths and
Weaknesses". After the students complete the worksheet
talk to the students about how all of us have good
and bad points. Have them share with the rest of the
class a strength which they have. Talk about how
weaknesses can be improved.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State
of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades K-6 ,
(Helena, Mt. , Grade 4, 1979), p. 5.
-40-
MY STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
I. 1. I feel good when
says I
2. I feel left out when
doesn't choose me for
3. I feel important when I
4 . I get angry when
corrects me on
5.
me feel
6. It's disappointing when
usually makes
doesn't notice
7. No matter how hard I try, I never
One thing I really enjoy is
II.
III.
List at least one weakness you have,
improve yourself in that area.
Tell how you could
-41-
Key Concept: Enhancement of self-concept through exploration
of good feelings.
SOMETHING TO SOMERSAULT ABOUT
The following activity will help students reflect on things
which make them feel good about themselves.
ACTIVITY:
Hold a discussion about good feelings. Ask the
students how they like to act when they are feeling
good. Ask them if they ever feel like running,
jumping, cartwheeling, or somersaulting. Have the
students list those things that make them feel good
on the following handout. Encourage the students
to underline the activity which makes them feel
happiest.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Stanish, Bob, Connecting Rainbows,
(Good Apple, Inc.: Carthage, II., 1982), p. 46.
-42-
in? t liiit t mm rut
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Underline the liappiesf
somersaii
-43-
Key Concept: Enhancement of self-concept by encouraging students
to say positive, caring things to each other.
PAPER CHAINS
The following activities will encourage children to develop
the habit of saying positive, caring things to each other which
will contribute to the creation of an affective environment.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Stock an activity center or other designated area with
a large supply of 1" X 8" construction paper strips in
assorted colors. Store them in coffee cans, oatmeal
cartons, or similar cylindrical containers for easy
access. Have a supply of paste on hand. Each time a
child hears someone make a positive comment or sees
a caring gesture, he/she should write the name of the
person and the comment or gesture on one of the strips
of paper. Have the children paste the ends of the
first strip together to form a ring. Have them pass
the next strip through the ring and paste the ends
together to begin the chain. Have them continue in
this way, adding links to either end of the chain.
As the chain grows , the children will have tangible
evidence of all their happy, positive statements and
caring gestures.
2. Display the children's paper chains in the classroom.
Place them at a height the children can easily reach.
Encourage them to continue to add links to the chain
regularly. (Make sure each student is recognized) .
USED WITH PERMISSION: Borba , Michele & Craig; Self-Esteem:
A Classroom Affair, Vol. 2, (Winston Press, Inc.: Minneapolis,
MN, 1982) , p. 31.
-44-
Key Concept: Awareness of behavioral actions which make other
people feel good.
I SAW SOMEBODY DOING SOMETHING GOOD
The following activity will help students recognize how
their behaviors will make them and others feel. Students
will learn social responsibility.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Discuss what people notice about other people, especially
in class and at recess. Often negative behaviors receive
much attention and people who "behave" without drawing
attention to themselves in a negative way are ignored.
2. Cover a bulletin board with butcher paper. Tell the
students that for a certain amount of time you'd like
them to keep an eye open for people doing positive,
considerate, neat things at school (or at home) . When
they see somebody doing something good, they write the
name of the student and what the student did on the
bulletin and sign their name next to their comments.
3. Each day at intervals the teacher and class comment on
the additions to the board reinforcing the one who did
something good and the one who noticed it. Students
can discuss how it makes them feel about themselves
when others notice the good things they do and comment
on it. How do students feel about themselves when
others comment only on negative things? Is it okay to
like yourself?
4. When the butcher paper is full, let each student cut
out the statements about him/herself doing good things
and paste them on a sheet of paper. Each student can
add to his/her own paper other good things he/she has
done during the same time period that weren't noticed.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State
of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades K-6 ,
(Helena, Mt., Grade 4, 1979), p. 1.
-45-
Hkokol 6JuQtion
INTRODUCTION
As students reach pre-teen ages, they may begin to notice
older students experimenting with alcohol and/or may begin
experimenting themselves. The interest in alcohol is going to
greatly increase, hence this is a crucial time to help students
distinguish between facts and fallacies about alcohol. Key
educational alcohol concepts to stress at this age include:
1. Vocabulary terms related to alcohol.
2. Facts and myths about alcohol.
3. Physical and psychological effects of alcohol.
4. The effects of the mass media on drinking behavior.
5. Views which our society holds concerning alcohol.
-46-
Key Concept: Knowledge of common vocabulary words related
to alcohol.
AN ALCOHOL VOCABULARY
Waiting until students reach the age where they begin
experimenting with alcohol is too late. Students need a clear
working knowledge about alcohol before they enter the difficult,
adolescent, junior high years.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Hand out a copy of the "Knowing Now Vocabulary Sheet".
Discuss the definition of each term as it relates to
alcohol with the class.
2. Alcohol Vocabulary Card Game: Print the definition of
each alcohol vocabulary word on the front of 3" by 5"
index cards. Print the appropriate word on the back
of the card. Use the cards in the following ways:
a. Use as an activity for individuals to learn
the definitions of alcohol related words at
an alcohol education station.
b. Using 2 sets of cards, have races between two
students to see who can write down the correct
words for the definitions fastest.
c. Have students team up and use the cards to test
each others knowledge of the terms.
3. Once the students have an understanding of all the
vocabulary terms, have them complete the "Knowing
Now Alcohol Crossword Puzzle."
-47-
KNOWING NOW
Alcohol Vocabulary Sheet
STIMULANT:
DEPRESSANT:
INTOXICATED:
FERMENTATION:
ABSORPTION:
PROHIBITION:
DISTILLING:
HARD-LIQUOR:
HANGOVER:
BLACKOUT :
DETOXIFICATION:
DELIRIUM-TREMORS :
CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER:
ALATEEN :
AA:
ALANON :
TREATMENT :
speeds up the central nervous system
slows down the central nervous system
drunk
the process by which wine and beer are made
the way alsohol enters the bloodstream
from the stomach and small intestines
a period in American history when it
was illegal to make or sell alcoholic
beverages
the process of evaporation to separate
alcohol from water
distilled beverages such as whiskey
or brandy
sick feeling experienced after drinking
too much, usually felt the next day
temporary amnesia (forgetting) which
occurs while drinking
the process of withdrawing from alcohol;
"drying out"
symptoms such as hallucinations, uncon-
trolable shaking, terror, and agitation
when an alcoholic suddenly stops drinking
scar tissue replaces healthy tissue in
the liver as a result of drinking too
much for a long period of time.
a support group designed for teenagers
who live with an alcoholic
a support group for alcoholics called
Alcoholics Anonymous
a support group for family members other
than the alcoholic
care given to alcoholics v/ho are
trying to stop drinking
-48-
KNOWING NOW
Alcohol Crossword Puzzle
DOWN:
1 — short for toddler
2 — distilled beverages such as whiskey and brandy
3 — slows down the central nervous system
4 — temporary amnesia (forgetting) which occurs while drinking
5 -- what we ski on
7 — another word for intoxication
8 — opposite of ugly
10 — opposite of short
13 -- opposite of no
ACROSS:
1 — what a child plays with
2 — unpleasant physical sensations experienced after drinking
too much
5 -- speeds up the central nervous system
6 — short for daddy
8 — a period in American history when it was illegal to make
or sell alcoholic beverages
9 — a small insect
11 — what we sleep in when camping out
12 -- the need to increase the dosage to achieve the same effect
•49-
KNOWING NOW
i
Ul
o
I
Alcohol Crossward Puzzle
KNOWING NOW
i
Answer Sheet
Alcohol Crossward Puzzle
Key Concept: Awareness of common myths about alcohol and why
they are myths.
MYTHS ABOUT ALCOHOL
Students are sometimes misinformed about alcohol by peers
and others. The following activity is designed to dispel some
of the more common myths about drinking.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Hold a discusssion about what a myth is. Make sure
all students have a clear understanding of the
meaning of the word.
2. Hand out a copy of "Drinking Myths". Have individual
students read the myths aloud. Discuss why each one
is a myth.
3. Design "Drinking Myth" posters.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Myths taken directly from Dolan, Joe,
"Drinking Myths", Health Education, Mar/April, 197 5, Vol. 6,
#2, pp. 16-17.
-52-
Drinking Myths
A guided tour through folklore,
fantasy, humbug & hogwash
A
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"It's only beer." Sure. Just like it's only
bourbon, or vodka or gin. One beer or
one glass of wine is about equal to one
average "highball." The effect might be
a little slower, but you'll get just as
drunk on beer or wine as on "hard"
liquor.
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17
"I don't know any alcoholics." Maybe
you just don't know you know any
alcoholics. Some of your best friends
may have drinking problems. They
don't seem "different." And they us-
ually try to hide their illness, even from
themselves. About 1 of every 10 execu-
tivo* ha« a rlnnkinn nrnMpm
-53-
By JoeDolan
Senior Program Manager
nnpratinn Threshold
Key Concepts: Increase knowledge of the effects of alcohol on
a person.
Improve decision-making ability.
THE TRIAL OF MR. ALCOHOL
The following activity is a means of getting students
actively involved in thinking about the physical and psychological
effects that alcohol has on the body. It is also a good way to
encourage them to think about their views on alcohol use.
ACTIVITY:
1. Make copies of the courtroom procedure worksheet on
the following page.
2. Discuss briefly some of the different points of view
people have about alcohol. Is alcohol innocent or
guilty? Discuss the trial of Mr. Alcohol as a way of
determining the verdict. Have students share what
they have read or seen about courtroom proceedings .
3. Distribute role cards to the students and give them a
day to prepare their roles.
4. Conduct the trial (see following page). A major point
to be made during the trial is that although people
come under considerable pressure to drink, drinking is
a personal choice.
5. After the trial, discuss the following questions with
the class:
a. Do you agree with the jury's verdict? Why or why not?
b. What do you think would happen if alcohol were really
put on trial in our society?
c. Do you think it would be possible to ban alcohol?
If so, how? If not, why not?
d. Since alcohol has both good and bad effects, how
do you think we should deal with it?
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State
of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades K-6 ,
(Helena, Mt., Grade 6, 1979), pp. 38-40.
-54-
THE TRIAL OF MR. ALCOHOL
Distribute role cards to the students. No one except the
witnesses should reveal their role description. The wit-
nesses for the prosecution should show their roles to the
prosecuting attorney. The witnesses for the defense should
show theirs to the defense attorney. There are 30 roles:
prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, 7 witnesses for the
prosecution, 6 witnesses for the defense, judge, court clerk,
bailiff, 12 jury members. The number of witnesses on each
side can be expanded as necessary to give every student a
role. Major roles are the prosecuting attorney and the
defense attorney. It may be helpful to assign those roles
to students who can perform well in front of a group and
think quickly.
Students should have one day to prepare their roles.
The setting is a courtroom where Mr. Alcohol is being
accused of the crime of ruining people's lives, causing
family problems, health problems, job loss, traffic
accidents and death.
Prior to the trial, review the basic vocabulary of court-
room procedure; e.g., objection, objection overruled,
verdict, defendant, defense attorney, prosecuting attorney, etc
Distribute courtroom procedure worksheets (see following
page) to the class. As the trial progresses, students
should check off each step on their worksheets and use the
space at the bottom of the worksheets for questions or
points they'd like to discuss after the trial. Or, rather
than assigning a role card to each student, some students
could be asked to be observers at the trial and use the
worksheet to make sure courtroom procedures are being followed.
Actual courtroom procedure in a criminal case requires that
the jury decision be unanimous . However, if classroom
time for the trial is limited, it may be preferable to use
the civil case courtroom procedure which requires 10 out
of 12 jurors to agree on the verdict rather than all of
the jurors. The judge should announce to the jury before
they retire to deliberate the number of jurors who must
agree on the verdict.
-55-
COURTROOM PROCEDURE - TRIAL OF MR. ALCOHOL
9 . When the jury returns the foreman presents the verdict.
19. The judge then rules on the verdict.
If not guilty, the case is dismissed.
If guilty, the judge may make a statement and/or give
the sentence.
NOTES:
-56-
1.
All
should be seated in their places.
2.
The
1
bailiff announces the arrival of the judge. All rise.
3.
The
judge will request those in the courtroom to be seated.
4.
The
bailiff will then read the charges against the defendant.
5.
The
defendant will state his/her plea (guilty or not guilty) .
6.
The
judge then instructs the prosecution to present its case.
a.
The prosecution will make an opening statement.
b.
The prosecution will call its witnesses.
c.
The bailiff will swear in the witnesses.
d.
After the prosecution has questioned a witness, the
defense may cross-examine if desired.
e.
After all witnesses have testified, the prosecution
gives a summary and rests its case.
n
The
judge then instructs the defense to present its case.
a.
The defense calls its witnesses.
b.
The prosecution may cross-examine if so desired.
c.
After all the witnesses have been called, the defense
gives a summary and rests its case.
8.
The judge instructs the jury about their responsibility to
decide this case.
a.
i
The jury then retires to deliberate.
b.
The jury elects a spokesperson or foreman.
c.
They then make their verdict of guilty or not guilty.
Key Concept: How ingrained and accepted alcohol is in our society,
"DRUNK" SYNONYM GAME
There are, reportedly, more synonyms for the word "drunk"
than for any other word in the English language. These words
say something about how ingrained and accented alcohol is in
our society. To begin this game open the floor to any and all
synonyms for the word "drunk". As the students call them out,
write them on the blackboard.
Examples:
juiced inebriated
plastered pickled
polluted under the table
zonked smashed
blasted loaded
tight intoxicated
To better see how our society views drunkenness, make
another list in categories. This can be done as a class or as
an assignment for each individual. The categories could be:
technical-medical, funny-happy, tragic-sad, and neutral.
Discuss the implications. Invariably the funny-happy category
is the largest.
To extend this activity, students can name plays, movies,
comic strips, TV shows, and people in which (or whom) alcohol
plays an integral part, then categorize them, the same way they
did the synonyms.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Corbin, David E. , "Health Games,
Simulations & Activities", Health Education, July/Aug.
1980, Vol. 11, #4, p. 26.
-57-
Key Concept:
Exploration of how the Mass Media affects views
on drinking.
MASS MEDIA AND DRINKING
The mass media often depicts drinking as being very
glamorous and cool. This activity was designed to help students
become aware of how the mass media tries to sell the glamors of
drinking to the public.
Select a bulletin board in the classroom. Divide the
bulletin board into two sections as illustrated below:
DRINKING IS COOL \ \
\ \ DRINKING IS NOT COOL
Have the students find as many examples through the mass
media as possible depicting that drinking is cool. Have them
collect pictures from magazines, make posters illustrating TV
ads, and design signs with radio commercials on them which
encourage drinking. Place this information on the side of the
bulletin board which says "Drinking is Cool". On the side which
says "Drinking is Not Cool", place examples of some of the conse-
quences which make drinking unpleasant.
The teacher may want to ask the following questions when
the preceding activity has been completed:
1. How much does the mass media affect our views on
drinking?
2. V7as the media used at all to depict the possible
harmful consequences of drinking?
-58-
Key Concept: Society views on alcoholism.
"HELP ME" STORY
The following activity will help students evaluate
the views that people in our society have about alcoholism.
ACTIVITY:
Hand out the following story called "Help Me". Have the
students complete the story. Have individuals share their
ending of the story with the rest of the class. Hand out the
actual story ending. Hold a discussion on how people view
"drunk" from a Saturday night party as opposed to "drunk"
at nine o-clock in the morning. Which would be classified
as an alcoholic?
PUBLIC DOMAIN: "Help Me", Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division,
State of Montana Teacher's Guide For Alcohol Education: Grades 7-12,
(Helena, MT, 1979) , pp. 1416.
-59-
«&\
bQfitH
1 it It '
a c a o i i
HELP ME!
It was a strange feeling for Mr. Tom Kaye as he walked down
the street. The buildings swayed and the sidewalk moved and he
realized he wasn't walking straight. So, apparently, did people
in the street. As he walked slowly and unsteadily toward a neatly-
dressed woman, she gasped and walked rapidly away. Tom stopped.
He looked around and uttered a quiet "mish-ter", but nobody seemed
to hear. Several passers-by just kept walking as if he didn't exist.
He was not well-dressed although he was neat and he carried the
bag of a salesman. It was true, he was sad. He worked very hard,
starting at dawn, not returning home till evening. But even
working more than 12 hours a day did not get him very far. He
still barely earned enough money to support his wife and child,
and he was worried about how they would feed another mouth when
the new baby came in a few months. And now this. He didn't
understand it. He had never been sick before.
-60-
Tom walked up to a well-dressed gentleman, began to say
"Mish-ter", but the man simply shook his head, said "It's too
bad, fellow", and continued walking. He was kindly enough but
of no help.
Tom stood still waiting for someone else to pass by. As
soon as he spotted a young man about his own age, he called out,
"Mish-ter, please...", but the man cut him off in mid-sentence.
"Serves you right", he said. "And so early in the day. If you
must drink, at least do it at night." And he walked away with a
scowl on his face.
Even in his cloudy brain, Tom realized he must get help. He
wasted no words on the next passer-by, an older woman who looked
very dignified. "I'm sick, madam", he said. "Please..." "You
certainly are," she replied. "Anybody who drinks too much is",
and she continued walking, her head high in the air.
By now, Tom was reeling. He could barely stand up. He
really felt sick, but nobody would help. He was certain he was
going to pass out, when he saw a man standing in the doorway of a
warehouse about 4 0 feet away. In desperation, he made his legs
move, hoping to reach the doorway before the man disappeared or
Tom himself collapsed. It seemed like hours, but he finally made
it. There stood a tall, muscular guy, smoking a cigar, a smile
on his face.
"I'm sick," Tom said. "Please help."
The man (the name "Jack" was embroidered on his work clothes)
said, "Yeah, go home and sleep it off. I've had a few too many
myself at times," and he laughed.
"But. . . . I. . . .can' t . . . . I 'm really sick. . . .Please. . . . get. . .help, "
Tom gasped.
-61-
Jack laughed again. "It sure is awful after the 'high' wears
off," he said.
"Please...," Tom pleaded. "Call. ... for .... help. ..., " and
he pointed unsteadily to a telephone behind Jack.
Complete the story by describing what, if anything, Jack
does and what happens to Tom.
ACTUAL STORY ENDING (Distribute after students have discussed
the completions they wrote)
Jack finally dialed. Maybe the guy was on the level. Jack
realized he didn't smell of alcohol, and he couldn't be 100% sure.
The ambulance raced through the streets to the nearest
hospital. In the emergency room Tom was promptly examined. The
doctor rushed him into an oxygen tent and relaxed when he saw
his breathing was easier.
He said to a nurse, "Haven't seen a case like this in years.
A collapsed lung. He's lucky he got here when he did. It'll
be weeks before the lung heals. He'll be here for awhile."
When Mrs. Kaye arrived, Tom was comfortable and awake. Still,
he found it difficult to speak, but slowly he said, "They thought.
I was. ... drunk. Can you. ... imagine. ... that?"
All he ever had was a little wine at religious ceremonies.
He had never drunk hard liquor in his life, not even a taste.
This is a true story.
-62-
Key Concept: Sensitivity to alcoholics,
EMPATHIZING WITH ALCOHOLICS
Have students actually abstain (or imagine what it would be
like to abstain) from one or more very desirable activities to
get an idea of what it might feel like to be an alcoholic - being
unable to resist an overwhelming temptation. Examples might include
*Using no salt and/or sugar in food.
*Not smoking cigarettes.
*Not drinking alcoholic beverages.
*Not using the telephone.
*Not eating candy.
*Not sleeping late on weekends.
*Not watching TV.
*Not drinking Coke or other soft drinks.
*Not engaging in a favorite sport.
Each participant can select one or more activities and attempt
to abstain from them for an agreed upon length of time, depending
on the activity and its importance to the participant's needs and
health. At the end of the agreed period, participants can write
accounts of, or report to the group on:
*Whether or not they succeeded.
*Whether they were confronted with the opportunity to "lapse"
and whether their will power diminished in the presence of
the "forbidden" activity or object.
*Their feelings during the period of abstinence . . . such as
boredom, frustration, anger, grouchiness, preoccupation
with or fantasies about the forbidden activity, or jealousy
toward others who were not abstaining.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Finn, Peter, and others, Dial A-L-C-O-H-O-L
and Jackson Junior High, (Abt. Associates.: Cambridge, Mass.,
1977) , p. 33.
-63-
A
east ons
Values
5-6
DECISIONS AND VALUES
5-6
Decision - making skills need to be developed at an early
age and continue being developed throughout life. The goal in
teaching decision-making skills is to help students do the following.
1. Understand their role in making decisions.
2. Recognize other people who can help them make decisions.
3. Realize the risks involved in decision-making.
The process of making decisions involves the following
steps (It Starts With People, p. 24) .
1. Defining the problem.
2. Exploring possible alternative ways of resolving the problem.
3. Looking at the consequences of the choices.
4. Choosing the alternative.
The purpose of values clarification is to help young people
build their own value system. Louis Rath, who formulated the
values clarification approach, broke the process of valuing
into three sub-processes (Simon, p. 19) .
1. Prizing; cherishing to the point of being willing
to publicly affirm a belief.
2. Choosing: looking at the various alternatives, considering
the consequences, and choosing freely.
3. Acting: consistently and repetitiously acting on one's
beliefs.
-64-
Key Concept: Awareness of all the decisions we all make each day.
TO DECIDE OR NOT TO DECIDE
ACTIVITY:
Have the students read the story "To Decide or Not to Decide".
Hand out a larger copy of the following grid. Have the students
list the five most important decisions that Tommy made that day
on the grid.
MOST 2ND MOST 3RD MOST LEAST
DECISION IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT
1.
2^ __
3_.
4.
5.
6.
Have the students come up with a list of decisions which
Tommy had to make that day. For example:
1. Whether to get out of bed.
2. Whether to brush his teeth and wash his face.
3. What shirt to wear.
4. Whether to eat anything for breakfast.
5. Whether to cheat on his science test.
6. Whether to take Spanish or band next year.
7. Whether to play the "soap-dish game" in the bathroom.
8. Whether to back out of the debate on the energy crisis.
Make a list of the decisions on the blackboard. Have the
students list them in the order of importance. Have them indicate
why they thought the decisions were important. Have the students
compare their list with other people's lists.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Chase, Larry, The Other Side of the Report
Card, (Scott, Foresman and Co.: Glenview, 111. , 1975), pp. 153-155.
-65-
TO DECIDE OR NOT TO DECIDE
(A day in the life of Tommy)
The sound of the newsman announcing the expressway traffic
backup is the first sound Tommy hears this very average Tuesday
morning. As he slams the top of the clock radio to get a few
more minutes sleep, the thought pops into his head that if he
doesn't get up he won't have to face the snow, the teachers,
and the whining of his sister. He gets up anyway.
By some miracle, young Tom makes it to the bathroom in the
dark, finds the light, and stares at the sleepy-looking but
rather handsome lad in the mirror. After a brief conversation
with his attractive friend, the real Tommy reaches automatically
for his toothbrush. It occurs to him that if he skips the
brushing and face-washing bit he can avoid having to touch
water at least until supper. (He hates water!) "I mean, who
would know? Mom would know! She'd probably smell my breath
and guess the awful truth - and what about those two cute
rah rahs in my science class?" Needless to say, he performs
the washing rituals, and we next pick him up staring into his
closet. Another decision! If he wears his good old "wear-it-
forever" flannel shirt, he'll be ready for the lunchtime foot-
ball game, but the queen of the house wouldn't approve. And
if Miss Breznahan (old "clothes-make-the-man" Breznahan) asks
him to debate the causes of the energy crisis, he'll be through.
The flannel shirt stays in the closet and we catch up to our
hero on the way to the kitchen buttoning his "Mr. Straight"
normal sixth-grade boy's shirt. (He is, of course, attired in
other appropriate middle-school clothing, including wrinkled
Levis, worn-out Earth shoes, and socks that don't match) .
All this choosing has taken valuable time, and stopping to
eat now would eliminate the possibility of picking on his
friend Morris before first period. A tangerine will have to
do, and zoom, our hero is off to another day at the place
(Kurt Vonnegut Middle School - an open-design school with a
French provincial faculty) .
The bell announces the beginning of first period. The
science teacher announces a test covering last week's stuff
and our hero is in trouble. Had he not watched the test
pattern on TV until 2 A.M. he would have studied. Ah, well,
yesterday's bad decisions are today's depressions. Our hero
is in luck, though, one of the cute rah rahs is sitting across
the aisle, with her obviously perfect paper in plain view.
What will our eleven-and-three-quarter year-old hero do?
Her answers must be right. "If I fail this test, I'm sure to
be grounded". The penalty pales in comparison. He cheats.
Our hero has become an anti-hero (or has he?) .
-66-
Second period finds Tommy filling out a form for next
year's schedule and having to choose between continuing
with band or taking Spanish. Maybe he is feeling guilty from
the science incident, but the choice is made: leave band
and take Spanish.
Between second period and 3:30, Tommy has to decide whether
to play the "soap-dish game" in the bathroom instead of going
to the Learning Center, whether to play hockey or chase the
girls at lunch, and whether to debate the energy crisis today
or to wait until tomorrow. (Old Brezzy liked the shirt) . As
a bell began the day, so does a bell end the day, and our anti-
hero rushes home to practice his trombone after declining an
invitation to play "guts" frisbee with the second-best frisbee
player in the sixth grade. (You will pardon our hero if he
prefers to see himself as number one) .
After dinner, Ernie, the brother of one of the cute rah
rahs, called and invited Tommy to attend a hockey game Saturday
night and, of course, this conflicts with Dad's invitation to
go ice fishing overnight. Tommy leaves this decision hanging
and turns on the TV as Kung Fu comes into focus, and just
before Tommy's brain is totally absorbed, the thought comes into
his head that if he studies math instead, he might survive
tomorrow's math test.
Finally, as the test pattern sinks slowly into the TV
Tommy decides enough is enough and goes to bed.
-67-
Key Concept: Awareness of how our decisions affect others.
OUR DECISIONS & OTHERS
Reflection on how the students' decisions will effect
others will help them become more sensitive in their decision-
making process.
ACTIVITY:
Hand out the worksheet titled "Considering the Feelings
of Others When Making A Decision." After the students
have completed the worksheet, break the class into
small groups and have the students discuss their answers.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Chase, Larry, The Other Side of the
Report Card, (Scott, Foresman and Co.: Glenview, 111, 1975), p. 160
-68-
CONSIDERING THE FEELINGS OF OTHERS
WHEN MAKING A DECISION
Before we make a decision, we should consider how that choice
will affect others and their feelings. In the following situations,
tell whose feelings should be considered in each case and why.
(You may need to consider more than one person's feelings in a
given case) .
1. Walking home from school, Pam and Cindy find a kitten.
Both girls want to take it home with them.
2. Jan asks Carol to go swimming with her. Carol agrees to go,
then she calls her cousin and invites her, without discussing
it with Jan.
3. Sheryl wants to bring her guinea pig (which doesn't have
a cage) to science class.
4. Jim offers to give you some permanent decals (which he doesn't
think his big sister wants anymore) to put on your bedroom wall.
A friend's dog has just had puppies; you can have one free.
(This exercise can either be done individually or in small
groups and can be discussed later as a class.)
-69-
Key Concept: Awareness of the risks involved in making decisions,
WEIGHING THE RISKS
The following activity will help students look at the con-
sequences of the decisions that they make. Encouraging students
to reflect on the amount of risk involved in making some decisions
may help them become better at making wise choices.
ACTIVITY:
Hand out the worksheet entitled "Weighing the Risks".
After the students have completed the worksheet, have
volunteers share times when they have made a bad decision,
Help the students examine why they made that decision.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Chase, Larry, The Other Side of the
Report Card, (Scott, Foresman and Co.: Glenview, 111., 1975), p. 151
-70-
WEIGHING THE RISKS
Every time we make a decision, we take a risk. So before
we make the decision, we should weigh, or consider, the risk
involved. Look at the decisions to be made; then write what
you think the risks involved are.
DECISIONS TO BE MADE: RISKS INVOLVED:
Whether to cheat on a test. If I don't cheat, I may flunk.
If I do cheat, I may get caught,
Whether to go swimming or to play
baseball .
What kind of shoes to buy.
Whether to take art or a foreign
language next year.
Whether to ask a girl for a date
Whether to fight someone,
Whether to smoke or not,
-71-
Key Concepts: Exploration of reasons to drink and reasons not
to drink.
Discovery of own values on drinking.
Awareness of the laws on drinking.
DRINKS VI LLE
Explain to the students that the current Montana State
laws regarding alcohol and minors reads as such:
MCA 16-3-301: It is illegal for any retailer to sell
or give any alcoholic beverage to anyone under the age
of 19. It is also illegal for a person to knowingly
misrepresent his or her age in order to obtain an
alcoholic beverage.
MCA 45-5-623: It is illegal for any person to sell or
give intoxicating substances to any minor.
Following a discussion on the laws, have the students imagine
that there are no restrictions on drinking at any age by using
the following activity.
ACTIVITY:
1. Make copies of "New Law in Drinksville" worksheet (see
following page) for the class and distribute to the students.
2. Have students write their responses anonymously.
3. Divide class into small groups to discuss the worksheet.
Have each group list what they think are good reasons
for drinking and why, and good reasons for not drinking
and why. Discuss and list the possible consequences of
a law which allows everyone of all ages to drink alcohol.
4. Groups report their conclusions to the class and discuss:
How would you feel if you were given total freedom to
make all your decisions without approval from any adult?
How important is it to you to be able to drink alcohol?
Survey the class to determine how many students would
support the existence of such a law and why? How many
would not, and why not? Discuss the actual laws.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State
of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades K-6 ,
(Helena, Mt., Grade 5, 1979), pp. 14-16; 61 (yellow pages).
-72-
V
V l V \ I / \ v t
qo ooooqooqoo qooq
THE NEW LAW IN DRINKSVILLE
A new law has just been passed in Drinksville making it legal
for people in the town to drink as much alcohol as they want at
any age. You are 11 years old and live in Drinksville. Your
parents have told you that whether or not you drink and how much
you drink is completely up to you. How will the new law affect
you? Write your answers to the following:
1. Will you drink? Or, if you drink already, will you drink more
often or drink more openly? Explain your reason.
What would you encourage your friends to do? Explain,
What possible consequences do you foresee in Drinksville
when the law goes into effect? Consider both positive
and negative consequences.
-73-
SELF-CONCEPT
5-6
A main reason for drinking is the feelings of well-being
one gets from alcohol. Development of a positive self-esteem
without the use of alcohol is crucial in the prevention
of alcohol abuse. The process of developing students self-
esteem include activities which do the following (It Starts
With People, p. 24) :
1. Help students recognize and accept feelings.
2. Help individuals share aspects of themselves with others,
3. Help students accept individual differences.
-74-
Key Concept: Awareness of emotions and how they affect our
behavior.
MOOD METER
The following activity will help students realize that
emotions are neither good nor bad but are a natural part of
everyone's life.
ACTIVITY:
Discuss what moods are and how frequently our feelings
change. Make a list of different moods. Have the
students give examples of things that change their
moods. Note that our behavior and how others see us
is often affected by how we feel at a given time.
What is a "good" or "bad" mood? Describe a person
in a "bad" mood. In a "good" mood.
Give each student a "Mood Meter" sheet. Have them
record their mood changes for a week. At the end
of the week discuss as a class various causes of
mood changes. Do things which happen outside of
the classroom, e.g., at home, on the playground,
influence your mood in class? Did your mood remain
the same all day? all week? Have the students list
things that help them feel good or be in good moods
and those that cause bad moods. Discuss alternative
ways of dealing with feelings.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State of
Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades K-6,
(Helena, MT, Grade 6, 1979), p. 6-8.
-75-
MOOD METER
MON
Month
TUES
WED
i
i
THURS
FRI
Key Concept: Exploration of how "put-downs" affect our self-image.
PUT-DOWNS
The following activity could be used during a physical educa-
tion class to demonstrate how "put-downs" effect students'
participation in sport activities.
ACTIVITY:
After at least two weeks of team sports activities, ask
students to individually write down one "put-down" they have
heard sometime during the team sports activities. Explain to
the students that these put-downs will be read out loud to the
rest of the class.
1. Collect the "put-downs", and one at a time, let students
draw one from the pile, read it to the class, and describe
how they would feel if someone had said such a statement
to them.
2. Time permitting, role play PE situations in which "put-
downs" are likely to occur; role play ways in which the
situations could be handled without the use of a "put-
down". Ask students to think of ways in which "put-
downs" pressure a person — especially in a team sport setting,
3. Ask students to draw a relationship between the strengths
of a person's self-image and his/her willingness to
participate in sports activities.
4. Ask students to individually write down positive statements
which could encourage rather than discourage them from
playing with others in the class. Collect these statements,
without comment; read them out loud to the class. Save
the positive statements. When appropriate or necessary,
suggest that students choose a positive statement rather
than a "put-down" as a way of communicating to someone
else in the class.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Saying No:
Drug Abuse Prevention Ideas for the Classroom, (Superintendent
of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office: Washington,
D.C. , 1980) , p. 7.
-77-
Key Concepts: Clarification of one's own attitudes on drinking
and how it affects our self-image.
WHERE DO YOU FIT?
The following activity could be used as a means of exploring
feelings students have when peer pressure is placed on them or
when they use peer pressure on someone else.
ACTIVITY:
Make copies of the "Where Do You Fit?" worksheet for
the class.
Have the students complete the worksheet individually,
and share answers in class discussion or small groups.
Role-play answers to questions 1 aid 2 on the worksheet
and dicuss -
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State
of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades K-6 ,
(Helena, MT. , Grade 6, 1979), pp. 1-3.
-7!
WHERE DO YOU FIT?
WORKSHEET
Would you feel like a square peg at a party with your friends,
if they wanted you to drink but you refused? Why or why not?
How would you handle the situation?
Pretend you're at a party where there is alcohol and you're
drinking. One of your friends doesn't want to drink.
- Would you see your friend as a square peg? Why
or why not?
- Would you defend your friend's choice not to drink
to the others at the party?
- If you did defend your friend's right to choose, how
do you think the others would treat you? How would
you handle their reactions?
Do you think an adult can feel comfortable in our society
without drinking? Explain. Do you think a teenager can
feel comfortable without drinking? Explain.
-79-
Key Concept: Awareness of decisions made based on outward
appearance and how that affects our self-esteem.
THE GREEN OG
At the 5th and 6th grade level, many decisions are made on
outward appearance. At the same time, the students are reaching
pre-adolescent years where alot of change is taking place in
their bodies. The following activity will help students look
at the effects of judging something by outward appearance only,
and how that affects our self-esteem.
ACTIVITY:
Hand out a copy of the worksheet "The Green Og" to each
student. Before holding a discussion, have the students complete
the worksheet. Then ask the following questions:
1. What did you do with your "Green Og?"
2. What did you base your decision on? Appearance?
3. How did you feel about doing that?
4. Have you ever felt like a "Green Og"?
5. How would you like to be treated if you were the
"Green Og"?
Hold a discussion on how society places so much emphasis
on outward appearance that we often fail to see what is on the
inside.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Stanish, Bob; Connecting Rainbows,
(Good Apple, Inc.: Carthage, IL, 1932), p. 54.
-80-
This is a green og. It's half human and half animal.
The green og is the last of its kind. Some want to destroy it because of its ugliness. Some would
buy tickets to see it. Some zoos would love to exhibit it. Some would feature it in horror films,
while others want it for medical research.
The green og is given to you!
What will you do with it?
Why?
-81-
fllcokol Uucdti0n
INTRODUCTION
The factor having the greatest influence on students at the
junior high level is peer pressure. Junior high is a time when
a great number of students begin experimenting with alcohol.
Although the greatest focus of prevention at this level
should be how to handle peer pressure, providing students with
facts about alcohol and helping them discover factors which
play a part in what decisions they make about alcohol are also
important. The following are educational alcohol concepts
which could be further explored at the junior high level.
1. Facts about alcohol.
2. Family history of alcohol use.
3. Effects of the mass media on drinking behavior.
4. Becoming involved in educating the public about alcohol,
5. Views that our society holds concerning alcohol use
and how that affects our decisions.
-82-
Key Concept: A needs assessment to determine what students
know about alcohol.
PRE/POST ALCOHOL KNOWLEDGE TEST
Hand out the following test as a pre-test to determine
how much the students already know about alcohol. Following
a unit on alcohol education, give the test as a post-test to
determine if the alcohol education unit was effective.
ANSWERS
1.
true
2.
false
3.
false
4.
false
5.
false
6.
false
7.
true
8.
false
9.
false
10.
false
11.
false
12.
false
13.
false
14.
true
15.
false
16.
true
17.
false
18.
true
19.
false
20.
true
21.
false
22.
true
23.
true
24.
false
25.
true
-83-
ALCOHOL KNOWLEDGE TEST
Answer true or false to the following questions concerning
alcohol use and abuse.
1. Alcohol is a mind-altering drug.
2. Alcohol is a stimulant.
3. An alcoholic is always fun to be around.
4. You won't become an alcoholic if you drink only beer.
5. Most alcoholics live in the streets.
6. A person who drinks too much only hurts him/herself.
7. Intoxicated means drunk.
8. An alcoholic is a "responsible" drinker.
9. Coffee will sober a person up.
10. Wine is considered hard-liquor.
11. Alcoholism is now considered a curable disease.
12. A cold shower will sober a person up.
13. There is nothing wrong with driving after a few beers,
14. Hard-liquor has been distilled.
15. Women seldom become alcoholics because of the
chemical make-up of their bodies.
16. One ounce of whiskey has the same amount of alcohol
as one 12 ounce can of beer.
17. Eating before drinking will speed up the effects
of the alcohol.
18. Alcohol passes through the stomach directly into
the bloodstream.
19. Everyone enjoys drinking.
20. 80 proof liquor contains 40% alcohol.
21. It is illegal to advertise for alcoholic beverages
on television.
-84-
22. People growing up with one or more alcoholic
parents are more likely to become alcoholics.
23. 90-95% of the alcohol is processed in the liver.
24. All people who become drunk are alcoholics.
25. Cirrhosis of the liver is caused by drinking too
much for a long period of time.
-85-
Key Concept: Knowledge of common vocabulary words related
to alcohol.
AN ALCOHOL VOCABULARY
The following activities are expanded from the "Knowing
Now" activities developed for 5th and 6th graders.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Hand out a copy of the "Alcohol Vocabulary Sheet".
Discuss the definition of each term as it relates to
alcohol with the class.
2. Alcohol Vocabulary Card Game: Print the definition
of each alcohol vocabulary word on the front of
3" by 5" index cards. Print the appropriate word on
the back of the card. Use the cards in the following
ways :
a. Use as an activity for individuals to learn the
definitions of alcohol related words at an alcohol
education station.
b. Using 2 sets of cards have races between two
students to see who can write down the correct
words for the definitions fastest.
c. Have students team up and use the cards to test
each other's knowledge of the terms.
3. Once the students have an understanding of all the
vocabulary terms, have them complete the "Alcohol
Crossword Puzzle".
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Definitions modified from Montana Alcohol &
Drug Abuse Division, State of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol
Education: Grades 7-12, (Helena, MT, 1979) , pp. 1-5 (glossary) .
ALCOHOL VOCABULARY SHEET
ABSORPTION:
ABSTINENCE:
ADDICTION:
ALCOHOL:
AA:
ALANON :
ALATEEN :
ANTABUSE :
BENDER:
BLACKOUT :
BRANDY :
BREWING:
CIRRHOSIS OF THE LIVER:
DAYDREAM:
DELIRIUM-TREMORS :
DEPRESSANT:
DETOXIFICATION:
DISTILLING:
the process by which alcohol enters the
bloodstream from the small intestine
and stomach
drinking no alcoholic beverages
physiological and/or psychological
dependence on a drug
the intoxicating chemical (C-H^OH) found
in liquors and produced by tne action of
yeast on sugars and starches
an organization called Alcoholics Anonymous
that meets to discuss problems of those
who are trying to control their addiction
to alcohol
a support group for family members other
than the alcoholic
a support group designed for teenagers
who live with an alcoholic
medication given to alcoholics which
will cause them to vomit if they drink
any alcoholic beverage
a period of continuous intake of alcohol
with the intent of getting drunk
temporary amnesia (forgetting) which
occurs while drinking
made by distilling wine; contains 40-50%
alcohol by volume
the fermentation of grains that result
in beer or ale
scar tissue replaces healthy tissue in
the liver as a result of drinking too
much for a long period of time
to let the imagination wander while the
eyes are open and the mind is not sleeping
symptoms such as hallucinations, uncontrol-
able shaking, terror, and agitation when
an alcoholic suddenly stops drinking
slows down the central nervous system
the process of sobering up and withdrawing
from toxic or poisonous effects of alcohol;
also called "drying out"
the process of evaporation to separate
alcohol from water
-87-
FERMENTATION:
HANGOVER:
HARD-LIQUOR:
INTOXICATION:
JIGGER:
KEGGER:
MALT:
OXIDATION:
PARANOIA:
PROHIBITION:
PROOF :
REALITY:
RUM:
STIMULANT:
TEMPERANCE:
TOLERANCE:
TREATMENT :
VODKA:
WHISKEY:
WITHDRAWAL:
the chemical reaction that produces alcohol
when yeast and sugar are combined; the
process by which wine and beer are produced
sick feeling experienced after drinking
too much; usually felt the next day
term used to refer to distilled beverages
as opposed to beer and wine
drunk
a small cup or glass used to measure liquor,
containing usually 1 1/2 fluid ounces
a party held primarily for the purpose of
drinking beer; most common with junior high,
senior high, and college groups
ingredients such as barley, corn or sugar used
to produce beer and ale
the process by which the liver converts
alcohol into heat and energy and releases
carbon dioxide (which is exhaled) and
water (which is eliminated as urine)
psychotic disorder marked by slowly devel-
oping delusions of persecution and/or grandeur
a period in American history when it was
illegal to make or sell alcoholic beverages
a number which is equivalent to double the
alcohol content of whiskey (86 proof
whiskey contains 43% alcohol)
that which has objective existence and
is not merely an idea
a beverage distilled from molasses derived
from sugar cane; contains higher levels
of alcohol than whiskey
speeds up the central nervous system
use of alcohol in moderation
the body's ability to overcome the usual
effects of alcohol so that an increased dosage
is needed to achieve the same effect as before
care given to alcoholics who are attempting
to stop drinking
a mixture of neutral spirits (ethyl alcohol)
and water; much of the commercial source
is 100 proof
a distilled beverage made from fermented
grain with an alcohol content between 80-110
proof, and aged in charred oak barrels
after developing a physical dependence on
alcohol, this is the result of discontinuing
it ' s intake
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ALCOHOL VOCABULARY
Crossword Puzzle
DOWN:
2 — temporary amnesia (forgetting) which occurs while drinking
3 -- the body's ability to overcome the usual effects of alcohol
so that an increased dosage is needed to achieve the same
effect as before for the individual
4 -- ingredients such as barley, corn or sugar to produce beer or ale
5 -- care given to alcoholics who are attempting to stop drinking
7 — unpleasant physical sensations experienced after drinking
too much
9 — a period of continuous intake of alcohol with the intent
of getting drunk
12 — "drying out"
13 — physiological and/or physchological dependence on a drug
14 — a number that is equivalent to double the alcohol content
of whiskey
16 — a party held primarily for the purpose of drinking beer
18 — use of alcohol in moderation
20 -- to let the imagination wander while the eyes are open and
the mind is not sleeping
22 — the fermentation of grains that result in beer or ale
24 — that which has objective existence and is not merely an idea
27 -- a support group for alcoholics
ACROSS:
1 — the process by which alcohol enters the bloodstream
6 — the intoxicating chemical found in liquors
7 — term used to refer to distilled beverages
8 — a period in American history when it was illegal to make
or sell alcoholic beverages
9 -- made by distilling wine
10 -- medication given to alcoholics which causes vomiting when
alcohol is drunk
11 — the process by which the liver converts alcohol into heat +
energy and releases carbon dioxide (which is exhaled) +
water (which is eliminated as urine)
13 — a support group for teenagers living with alcoholics
15 -- a mixture of neutral spirits and water
17 -- the process by which wine and beer are produced
19 — a distilled beverage
-91-
ACROSS: (continued)
21 — a small 1 1/2 ounce glass used to measure liquor
23 — psychotic disorder marked by slowly developing delusions
25 — symptoms such as hallucinations, uncontrollable shaking,
terror, and agitation when an alcoholic suddenly stops drinking
26 -- a beverage distilled from molasses derived from sugar cane
2 8 — speeds up the central nervous system
29 — drinking no alcoholic beverages
30 — after developing a physical dependence on alcohol, this
is the result of discontinuing it's intake
TERMS TO CHOOSE FROM:
ABSORPTION
ABSTINENCE
ADDICTION
ALCOHOL
AA
ALANON
ALATEEN
ANTABUSE
BENDER
BLACKOUT
BRANDY
BREWING
CIRRHOSIS OF THE
DAYDREAM
DELIRIUM-TREMONS
DEPRESSANT
DETOXIFICATION
DISTILLING
FERMENTATION
HANGOVER
HARD-LIQUOR
INTOXICATION
JIGGER
KEGGER
MALT
OXIDATION
PARANOIA
PROHIBITION
PROOF
REALITY
RUM
STIMULANT
LIVER TEMPERANCE
TOLERANCE
TREATMENT
VODKA
WHISKEY
WITHDRAWAL
-92-
Key Concept: Discrimination between alcohol facts and opinions.
FACT FINDING
It is easy to become confused about what is a fact and what
is not. The following activities will help students determine
what is fact and what is opinion as it applies to alcohol use.
ACTIVITY;
Have the students look up the definitions of fact and
opinion in the dictionary. Discuss the difference between
the two. Send the class to the library to discover as
many facts as they can about alcohol. Make sure they
can varify their "facts" by requiring a bibliography.
Have each student write out their facts on 3 X 5 inch
cards. Place the cards in a box. Divide the class
into four groups. The teacher draws a fact card from
the box and asks a question from the fact card. Each
group works as a team to score the most points. If
group 1 cannot answer the question, group 1 scores no
point and the same question is given to group 2. If
group 2 answers the question correctly, group 2 receives
one point. The next question is given to group 3.
Play "Alcohol Fact Baseball". Break the class into
groups of 3-4. Give each group a set of "Alcohol
Facts Baseball" cards, a baseball diamond, and 3-4
markers. One at a time, the students should draw
a card, read the question aloud and try to answer it.
If answered correctly, move the number of bases indicated
on that card (i.e. triple, double, single).
USED WITH PERMISSION: "Alcohol Fact Baseball", Taking Risks:
Activities & Materials for Teaching About Alcohol, Other Drugs
and Traffic Safety, "Book II, Secondary Edition, (California
State Dept". ol Education: Sacramento, CA. , 1979), pp. 51-53.
-93-
"Alcohol Facts Baseball" Question Cards
This sheet consists of "Alcohol Facts Baseball" cards. Fold the blank sides together, and paste.
Triple:
People with drinking
problems often start
out by
Single:
Alcohol helps people relax
and theretore solves a lot
more problems than it
causes True or talse?
Double:
Name at least two factors that
will affect whether or not a
person will get drunk on a
certain amount of alcohol.
Answer: Fnjoying alcohol
without any problem: drinking
responsibly
Answer: False
Answers : At least weighl and
amount of alcohol, also time
and previous experience
Single:
The legal drinking age in !
California is Answer: 2
1 19
2 21 1
3 16 I
Single:
A tall, heavy person and a •
short, light person will usually , Answer : False
be affected the same way by
three cans of beer True or
false?
1
Double:
The best way to get a person Answer: Wait
to sober up fast is to .1
i
i
i
Double:
Which ol the following a
contains the greatest amount i
of alcohol7 Answer: All three are about
1 A 5-ounce glass of wine 'be same
2 A shot of whiskey
3 A 1 2 ounce can of beer
Single: |
Whether a person gets drunk 1
or not depends mainly on |
1 His or her weight |
2 The amount of alcohol he i . ,
or she consumes «nswer. a
3 The time in which the
alcohol is consumed
4 His or her previous
experiences with alcohol
drinking |
5. All of the above |
Single:
Which of the following is the
best way of sobering a person !
up? Answer: 3
t Black coffee
2 Cold showers
3 Waiting until the effects I
wear off |
■
I
en
I
"Alcohol Facts Baseball" Question Cards (continued)
This sheet consists of "Alcohol Facts Baseball" cards. Fold the blank sides together, and paste.
Single:
One of the most important
things about learning how to
drink is:
1 . Knowing how alcohol
affects you. knowing your | Answer1 t
limits |
2. Knowing which are the j
best brands ot alcoholic •
beverages
3. Knowing the proper
occasions lor beer or other
alcoholic beverages
Triple: 1 Possible answers: Traffic
Name three serious problems 1 accidents. |ob problems.
that can be the result ol 1 physical problems, economic
drinking alcoholic beverages | consequences
Single:
Most teenagers have had 1
their lirst drink by the age ot | Answer: True
13 True or false? |
i
Double:
A person is usually
considered intoxicated when l-
his or her blood alcohol Answer: 3
content has reached I
1 .04 percent |
2. 08 percent
3 10 percent
., . .. . Answer: False
No one ever gels drunk on
wine True or false?
Double:
Which one of the following is a .
lair estimate ol the number ol
people aflected by alcohol- Answer: 3
related problems in America? 1
t . 1 million 1
2 3 million |
3. to million |
i
Triple:
Cirrhosis is a disease of the
Double:
Which ol the following can be
the result of too much
drinking'
t Cirrhosis
2 Measles
3 Diplhena
4 Brain damage
5 Intoxication
Answer: Liver
I
in
I
Answers: t . 4. and 5
"Alcohol Facts Baseball" Question Cards (continued)
This sheet consists of "Alcohol Facts Baseball" cards. Fold the blank sides together, and paste.
Single: |
A person can drink so much 1 » t
alcohol thai he or she wrll tall I Answer: true
down True or false7 |
Single:
Alcohol can affect which of
thefottowinq: . r
1. Emotions Answer: 5
2 Physical functioning
3 Judgmeni
4 Perceptions
5. All of the above I
Double:
Alcohol is related to 1
1 . 80 percent of the traffic 1 ,.,„.,. 0
deaths m the US flra™ ' d
2 50 percent of the traffic
deaths in the U S
i
1
1
Triple: I Answer: The percentage of
■ alcohol in the blood after a
Define blood alcohol conlenl 1 person has drunk an alcoholic
beverage
!
Double: 1
Because alcohol conlains Answer: False
calories, it can be a substitute 1
for food in emergency situa- |
lions True or false?
Double: j
Alcohol
1. Speeds up the body
functions
2 Ultimately slows the body 1 Answer: 2
functions |
3 Doesn'l affect the body |
functions I
1
j
Single: |
Beer does not contain | Answer: False
alcohol Tnje or false7 |
Triple: Possible answers: Different
Identify two differences a'coh<" ST'en' htrd "quor
between beer and hard liquor j identified by proof
1
I
VD
I
A16ML 9M
%»
o
■97-
Key Concept: Awareness of own personal family
history of alcohol use.
SEARCHING FOR YOUR DRINKING
OR NON-DRINKING ROOTS
This activity is designed to get students
thinking about why they do or do not drink;
why their parents may serve eggnog at Christmas;
or why someone in their family drinks only
beer or only scotch. Looking at the ethnic
group that students come from assists them in
discovering more about themselves, their
families, and their attitudes toward
alcohol use. The following are some
ideas to throw out to the students to
get them started.
Trace your roots. Make a chart or family tree which shows
your mother's and father's sides of the family and list
what ethnic groups your family is made up of. Ask your parents,
grandparents, great-aunt Jane or other relatives to tell you
about where your relatives came from.
2. Find out everything you can about how these ethnic groups,
tribes, or families used alcohol. Was alcohol used for
religious or other ceremonies? Was it used only on certain
occasions? What kind of alcohol was used? How much? What
happened to people who got drunk?
3. Pick out one of the groups and do some indepth investigating.
Trace back through history and find out what drinking customs
or laws were used by the group 50, 100 or even 500, or 1000
years ago. Was alcohol a part of that culture from its
beginnings? Did other people introduce alcohol to your ancestors?
Do some of the stories, legends, or writings of the group
mention alcohol? List the evolution of drinking patterns and
practices.
4. Look at your own decisions about drinking. Do they parallel
your ancestors' use? How are they different? How is society
different now?
5. Create a unique way to present your findings to a class,
organization, or group of friends. What did your friends find
out about their drinking histories? Were their drinking
customs similar to or different from yours? Why?
Some sources of assistance in tracing your roots would be:
1. relatives or friends of the family;
2. state or local historical societies or libraries;
-98-
3. family records -- birth, baptism, death, naturalization
papers, visas, drivers' licenses, bible inscriptions;
4. genealogy clubs or societies.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: U.S. Dept . of Health, Education, and Welfare,
Is Beer a Four Letter Word?, (Rockville, Maryland, 1981) , pp. 7-
-99-
Key Concepts: Exploration of why people drink, and what other
activities could be done to experience the same
pleasures.
THE ENJOYMENT OF DRINKING
Most people who drink enjoy alcohol. Ask the students the
following questions about why people like to drink:
1. What, exactly, do moderate drinkers find enjoyable
about drinking?
2. Are there different reasons why people drink? Are the
reasons teenagers drink different from the reasons adults
drink? If so, what are the differences?
3. Are there other things besides drinking that people
could do to experience the same pleasures?
4. How many drinks - or how much alcohol - must people
consume to experience the pleasures of drinking? Do
different pleasures that drinkers experience from
alcohol require different amounts of alcohol? If so, why?
5. How should parents explain to their children why they drink?
Following the discussion, have the students check out some
of the reasons people give for drinking by interviewing various
individuals. Have the students ask the following questions:
1. As a moderate drinker, what do you find enjoyable and/or
unenjoyable about drinking.
2. As a teenager, what do you find enjoyable and/or unenjoyable
about drinking?
3. As an adult, what do you find enjoyable and/or unenjoyable
about drinking?
4. What are some other activities you could be involved
in to experience the same pleasures?
USED WITH PERMISSION: Modified from Finn, Peter, and others,
Dial A-L-C-O-H-Q-L and Jackson Junior High, (Abt. Associates,
Inc., Cambridge, Mass., 1977), p. 13.
-100-
Key Concepts: Awareness of how society views drinking and
how one could become involved in taking action
for or against it.
LOCAL OPTION & PROHIBITION
The following activity will increase the students knowledge
of who is involved in making decisions about drinking at the
community level.
ACTIVITY:
Hold a discussion on how people could become involved in
a local issue of banning all taverns in a community. Have
students role play a town council meeting on banning
bars and taverns in their community. Appoint one member
of the group as chairperson for the meeting and assign
six other members the following roles:
* A police officer who is upset by the serious drunk
driving problem in the town.
*
A bar owner who will go out of business if the sale
of alcohol is banned.
* A middle-aged parent who doesn't want a teenage son
or daughter to drink.
* An office worker who enjoys having a couple of beers
with friends after work at the local bar.
* A taxpayer who is upset about the type of people who
come from other towns to drink in the bars.
* A college student who would have to drive to the
next town to do his or her drinking — and then
drive home.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Finn, Peter, and others, Dial A-L-C-0-H-O-L
and Jackson Junior High, (Abt. Associates: Cambridge, Mass.,
1977) , p. 13.
-101-
Key Concept:
Using the media to educate the public
on facts about alcohol.
TUNING IN AND TURNING TO
YOUR LOCAL D.J.
"Wally Wax here all weekend long with your
favorite platters, news, and weather. Current
forecast calls for blue skies and lots of sun if
it doesn't rain. In fact, there's a 50 percent
probability of fair weather, a 50 percent pro-
bability of showers, and a 100 percent probability
that you probably don't believe anything the
weather report says. But enough of this idle
chatter. I'm gonna play a moldie, oldie, goldie
for you right now, vintage 1968, by the Bee Gees,
called 'I Started a Joke'."
Wally Wax is a local radio disc jockey. He and other D.J.s
around the country can be the key to getting drinking messages to
teenagers — and that's no joke. It's no secret that young people
listen to the radio. From morning to night, they listen to it in
their rooms, at school, in their cars, while on dates, when buying
clothes, at the beach.
Many D.J.s already use alcohol messages. Unfortunately, they
are frequently negative messages. Getting drunk is made light of,
and the listener who doesn't have a six-pack in the car begins
to wonder if there is something wrong with him.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Give the students an assignment to listen to the radio and
bring to class a list of messages they have gotten about
alcohol from the radio.
2. Explain to the students what a Public Service Announce-
ment (PSA) is. Have the students create their own
Public Service Announcements which raise issues about
alcohol abuse and encourage people to reexamine their
drinking attitudes.
3. Have a group of the students contact the local radio
stations about using some of the Public Service
Announcements designed by the class.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: U.S. Dept . of Health, Education, and Welfare,
Is Beer a Four Letter Word?, (Rockville, Maryland, 1981) , pp. 10-11
-102-
D
east ons
Vd
ues
7-S
DECISIONS AND VALUES
7-8
Decision-making skills need to be developed at an early
age and continue being developed throughout life. The goal in
teaching decision-making skills is to help students do the
following:
1. Understand their role in making decisions.
2. Recognize other people who can help them make decisions.
3. Realize the risks involved in decision-making.
The process of making decisions involves the following
steps (It Starts With People, p. 24) :
1. Defining the problem.
2. Exploring possible alternative ways of resolving
the problem.
3. Looking at the consequences of the choices.
4. Choosing the alternative.
The purpose of values clarification is to help young people
build their own value system. Louis Rath, who formulated the
values clarification approach, broke the process of valuing
into three sub-processes (Simon, p. 19) .
!• Prizing: cherishing to the point of being willing
to publicly affirm a belief.
2. Choosing: looking at the various alternatives,
considering the consequences, and choosing freely,
3. Acting: consistently and repetitiously acting on one's
beliefs.
-103-
Key Concept: Awareness of the decision-making process and how
it applies to drinking.
THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS
Many people tend to flow with the tide and never realize
their responsibility in making decisions. The following
activities will help students recognize their role in the
decision-making process and help them become more responsible
in this area.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Explain the process of making decisions. The four
steps involved are as follows:
a. Defining the problem.
b. Looking at ways of resolving the problems.
c. Looking at the consequences of making choices.
d. Choosing from the alternatives.
2. Hold a discussion on what decisions need to be made
concerning drinking alcoholic beverages. For example:
a. to drink or not to drink;
b. to go or not go to a kegger;
c. to take a six pack of beer to a friends house or not to; or
d. to ride or not ride with someone who has been drinking.
Hand out a copy of "It's Your Decision" to each student.
This handout will help students put the decision-making process
into action.
3. Discuss how your decisions about drinking will be
influenced by your values about drinking. Hand out a
copy of the "Personal Policy" worksheet to each student
and have them write a statement on their beliefs about
drinking.
USED WITH PERMISSION: "It's Your Decision" and "Personal Policy"
taken directly from Smoking Deserves a Smart Answer: Adolescent
Smoking Prevention Resource Guide, (American Lung Association:
1740 Broadway, New Yrok, NY, 1983), Worksheet #6.
-104-
name
It's Your Decision
1. What is the decision I am trying to make?
2. What information about the decision will help me to decide?
3. What are my choices? What are the good and bad consequences of each
choice?
CHOICE 1
Choice:
Good
Consequences
Bad
Consequences
CHOICE 2
Choice:
Good
Consequences
Bad
Consequences
-105-
4. How will the people and things important to me be affected by my decision?
Family:
Friends:
School: ___
Other:
5. Put a star by those items in #3 and #4 that are MOST IMPORTANT to YOU.
6. Now select the best decision for you: I have decided to
because
7. What might make it difficult for you to stick to your decision?
8. What might help you to stick to your decision?
-106-
o
-J
I
Personal Policy
have decided
Signed
r
My school policy is:
My family's policy is:
o
03
I
My community policy is:
Key Concept: Awareness of one's attitudes on drinking and what
factors have influenced those attitudes.
ATTITUDES & ALCOHOL
Researchers have revealed low incidences of alcoholism and
alcohol abuse among cultures who use alcohol as part of their
daily lives. Following is a list of attitudes which have fostered
responsible drinking within their cultures.
1. Children are exposed to alcohol early in life, within
an established family or religious context. Whatever
the beverage, it is served diluted and in small quantities,
resulting in low blood-alcohol levels.
2. The beverages used are commonly those containing large
amounts of non-alcoholic components (wines or beers) ,
which help to retain low blood-alcohol levels.
3. The beverage is considered mainly as a food and is
usually consumed with meals.
4. Parents present a constant example of moderate drinking.
5. No moral importance is attached to drinking. It is
considered neither a virtue nor a sin.
6. Drinking is not viewed as proof of adulthood or virility.
7. Abstinence is socially acceptable. It is no more rude or
ungracious to decline a drink than to decline a piece of cake.
8. Excessive drinking or intoxication is not socially accept-
able and is not considered stylish, comic, or tolerable.
9. Alcohol is not a prime focus for any activity.
10. Finally, perhaps most importantly, there is wide and
usually complete agreement among members of the group
on the ground rules of drinking.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Give each student a copy of the list of attitudes which
foster responsible drinking behavior. Have the students
compare these attitudes to those attitudes which they
are exposed to from:
a. parents b. peers c. others
2. Have each student write a statement of their own attitudes
toward alcohol at this time. Have them reflect on how
these attitudes have been influenced by parents, peers,
and others.
USED WITH PERMISSION: List of attitudes taken directly from Engs ,
Ruth; "Responsibility and Alcohol", Health Education, Jan/Feb, 1981,
Vol. 12, #1, p. 20.
-109-
Key Concept: Demonstration of the power of peer pressure.
THE LINE ACTIVITY
The following activity could be used as a lead-up for a
discussion on student behaviors related to drugs and peer pressure.
ACTIVITY:
Ask one reasonably confident student to stand outside the
door for a few minutes. Explain to the class that the purpose
of this activity will be to try to convince the person outside of
something that is not true. Draw two parallel lines on the chalk
board, making sure that one is slightly — but noticeably — longer
than the other. Designate seven or eight students to use whatever
reasonable tactics they can think of to persuade the person outside
that the lines are the same length. (Depending on your class, you
might want to set some limits on "reasonable tactics") . Pick 3 or
4 members of the class to observe what happens when the person
comes in and the persuading begins. Ask the person outside to
come; explain that while he/she was out of the room the class
began discussing the length of the two lines drawn on the board;
ask the student to compare the lines in terms of length. As
the student announces that one line is longer, let the persuaders
begin. Allow the activity to last no longer than five minutes,
taking care that the student who is the object of the pressure
does not feel overly put-down or threatened by the pressure
from his/her peers. Call the pressure off at an appropriate
point; ask the observers to report on what they saw; allow the
student being pressured to share his/her feelings about the
pressure; let those who were doing the pressuring tell how they
felt about their role.
Ask the class to think of ways in which this activity
represents situations which go on at school. With the class,
develop a definition of peer pressure and discuss how it can
influence a person's decisions regarding such health issues
as drugs, and peer pressure. Make a list of these ideas
and post it in the classroom.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Saying No:
Drug Abuse Prevention Ideas for the Classroom, (Superintendent
of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office: Washington
D.C. 1980) , p. 8.
-110-
Key Concept: Clarification of values towards alcohol use,
ALCOHOL ATTITUDES
The following activity will help students better understand
their views about alcohol.
ACTIVITY:
Discuss how our feelings toward alcohol may vary
according to how and when the alcohol is being used.
Have each student complete the "Alcohol Attitude"
worksheet and discuss.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State
of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades 7-12,
(Helena, Mt., Junior High, 1979), p. 22.
-Ill-
ALCOHOL ATTITUDES
Directions :
Read the description of the fictitious people listed below
and rank them on the basis of how strongly you feel about their
negative characteristics. No. 1 would represent the character
who you feel has the most negative (bad) characteristics, and
No. 8 would have the least negative characteristics. For example,
one might rank a person who deliberately gives a child an apple in
which he has hidden razor blades as No . 1, and one who cheats on
his diet by having a candy bar as No. 8.
INDIVIDUAL RANK
GROUP RESPONSE
Friend A person who buys beer in a grocery
store to give to her friends who are
under 21 years of age.
Counselor A student who comes to a counselor in
school to tell him/her of his involve-
ment with alcohol and the counselor
tells his parents.
_Boozer Person who comes to the school dance drunk,
_Teacher Teacher who believes very strongly that
alcohol is bad and has told a few things
to his/her students that weren't true
just so they would be sure not to drink.
Father Father who drinks a couple beers each
evening to be sociable but yells when he
hears his 15 year-old son has been
drinking at a party.
_Driver A 22 year-old girl who has been drinking
heavily at a party and decides to drive
her friends home in her parents' car.
_Police Policeman who knows of a 9th grade drinking
party but doesn't investigate because he
says, "Kids will be kids".
Alcoholic Man who argues with his wife and causes
family problems because he can't hold a job,
-112-
Key Concept: Clarification of values through role playing .
ROLE PLAYING
The following activity will help students clarify their
values concerning alcohol use and will help improve their
decision-making ability.
ACTIVITY:
1. Make copies of the worksheet "What Would You Do?" and
distribute to each student in the class. Have the
students write brief responses to one or more scenarios.
2. Have the students break into small groups and discuss:
a. what they could do, how and why,
b. what they would do, how and why.
Each group reports its conclusions to the class and
responds to comments and questions from the class and
teacher.
3. Have the students create their own scenarios and present
to the class. Have the class respond with what they could
and would do, how and why.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State
of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades 7-12,
THelena, Mt. , Junior High, 1979), pp. 16, 18.
-113-
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
You are j
has come
but the r
expensive
taking ca
brother i
You have
40 cents.
ust finishing up hockey practice and your brother
to pick you up. He hates this task and you know it,
A taxi would be
ink is several miles from home.
, and your father is working and
re of your brothers and sisters,
s roaring drunk but insists he's
about 25 cents on you. Bus fare
What could you do? What would
your mother is
This time your
able to drive okay,
to vour home is
you do? Why?
Jack noticed that Brenda, his date, was very loud at the party.
She accepted another drink and was consuming it rapidly. "Hey,
Brenda, lay off. You've had too much!" Jack said firmly as
he tried to remove the glass from her hand. Brenda pushed
back angrily. "Leggo" . What could Jack have done? What
would you have done? Why?
You babysat tonight with three children while their parents
went to a party. You need every cent of the money for new
school clothes, so you don't want to take a cab. The lady,
who is your mother's best friend, offers to drive you home,
but she is so drunk she had trouble getting in the house.
What could you do? What would you do? Why?
Cindy is going to a party. Her parents ask her about her plans.
Cindy wonders what to say. She knows they don't approve of
liquor, yet the party is at Tom's and there is going to be
beer for everyone. What could Cindy do? What would you do? Why?
A good friend has offered you a ride home from school today
after track practice. You don't have any money with you and
your parents will not be home until later. Your friend's mother
comes roaring down the street in their green station wagon.
Instead of stopping at the curb, she pulls right up on the
sidewalk in front of the school. As soon as you get into
the car you can smell liquor on her breath. You don't want
to hurt your friend's feelings, and he isn't saying anything.
You live four miles from school. What could you do? What
would you do? Why?
-114-
SELF-CONCEPT
7-8
A main reason for drinking is the feelings of well being
one gets from alcohol. Development of a positive self-esteem
without the use of alcohol is crucial in the prevention of alcohol
abuse. The process of developing students' self-esteem include
activities which do the following (It Starts With People, p. 24) :
1. Help students recognize and accept feelings.
2. Help individuals share aspects of themselves with others.
3. Help students accept individual differences.
-115-
Key Concept: Enhancement of self-concepts.
MY COAT OF ARMS
ACTIVITY:
Encourage discussion on how symbols are used in corporation
logos or on football helmets for communicating messages. During
the Middle Ages some families created coats of arms to describe
family achievements, vocations, and beliefs.
Provide copies of the worksheet entitled "My Coat of Arms".
Write the following instructions on the chalkboard:
1. In space number 1, print your full name in a very
special way.
2. In space number 2, express in a drawing something that
would best describe you.
3. In space number 3, express in a drawing something that
might describe what you will be doing fifteen years from. now.
4. In space number 4, express in a drawing a very special
wish or dream you have.
5. In space number 5, express in a drawing a special achieve-
ment you have achieved.
6. In space number 6, express in a drawing a special memory
or event in your life.
Provide time for each student to describe his own coat of
arms to the entire class. Display all coats of arms in the
classroom.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Stanish, Bob, Connecting Rainbows,
(Good Apple, Inc.: Carthage, IL. , 1982), pp. 69-70.
-116-
Y COAT OF ARMS
I
1
k.
2.
5.
\3.
6.1
% j
■117-
Key Concept: Awareness of how a person's self-concept can be
influenced by others.
LABELING GAME
Poor self-concept has been one reason why many young people
often turn to drugs. The following activity is a way to help
students become aware of their own interactions with others and
how others are affected by them.
ACTIVITY:
Prepare positive and negative labels such as the following:
PRAISE ME IGNORE ME
RESPECT ME INTERRUPT ME
LIKE ME CRITICIZE ME
LISTEN TO ME DISAGREE WITH ME
Place one label on the forehead of each student. The
wearer should not know what his/her label is.
Choose a current topic to stimulate discussion. Have the
students respond to each other according to the label that is
on their forehead.
After 10-15 minutes, hold a discussion on the reactions of
the students to the game. Ask questions such as:
1. Could you guess what your label was?
2. How did you feel about the way people treated you?
3. How could this labeling activity apply to real life
situations?
USED WITH PERMISSION: Toohey, Jack V., and Thomas L. Dezelsky,
"A Values Clarification Project in Southern Mexico", Health
Education, May/June, 1979, Vol. 10, #3, p. 21.
-118-
Key Concept: Enhancement of self-esteem.
MY GLURP
ACTIVITY:
Explain to the students that a "GLURP" is something that
one prizes, enjoys and feels proud about. Each letter in
"GLURP" stands for something about us.
G = something you are good at
L = something you like
U = something you do umpteen times without getting bored
R = something that releases your energy
P = something that you are proud of
An example of one person's GLURP is as follows:
"My GLURP is gathering seed pods, mushrooms, and unusual
grasses and weeds which are preserved and pasted in strips of
old barn siding. The strips make beautiful wall hangings. In
fact, some of the wall hangings I give away. I feel proud when
I see my work in someone ' s house . "
Have the students write their own GLURP on the following
worksheet. Later have the students share their GLURP ' S with
the rest of the class.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Stanish, Bob; Connecting Rainbows,
(Good Apple Inc.: Carthage, IL. , 1982), pp. 65-66.
-119-
M<6LIKP
What's a GLURP? A GLURP is something you1 re good at; something
you like; something you could do umpteen times without getting bored;
something that releases your energy, end something you're proud of.
My GLURP is
Paste a class photo of you within the picture frame,
Finish the picture by drawing yourself doing your GLURP!
-120-
(Kcokol tiuatioft
ALCOHOL EDUCATION
9-12
Most high school students have or will experiment with
alcohol; hence the focus at this level should be in promoting
"responsible" drinking behavior. Since high school is when most
students will be getting their drivers license, education about
drinking and driving is also of utmost importance. Following
are suggested alcohol concepts to stress at the high school level.
1. Physical effects of alcohol use.
2. "Responsible" drinking.
3. Alcohol "tolerance" as a step towards alcoholism.
4. Drinking and driving.
5. Use of alcohol during pregnancy.
•121-
Key Concept: A needs assessment to determine what students
do know and do not know about alcohol .
PRE/POST ALCOHOL KNOWLEDGE TEST
Hand out the following test as a pre-test to determine
how much the students already know about alcohol. Following
a unit on alcohol education, give the test as a post-test to
determine if the alcohol education unit was effective.
ANSWERS TO THE TEST
1.
True
15.
True
29.
False
2.
True
16.
True
30.
False
3.
False
17.
False
31.
False
4.
False
18.
False
32.
True
5.
True
19.
False
33.
True
6.
True
20.
True
34.
False
7.
False
21.
False
35.
True
8.
False
22.
True
36.
True
9.
False
23.
False
37.
False
10.
False
24.
True
38.
True
11.
False
25.
True
39.
True
12.
False
26.
True
40.
True
13.
True
27.
False
41.
True
14.
True
28.
True
USED WITH PERMISSION: Alcohol Knowledge Test was taken directly
from Langone, John, Bombed, Buzzed, Smashed or Sober, (Little,
Brown, and Co.: Boston, Mass., 1976), 3rd ed. , pp. 6-8.
-122-
ALCOHOL KNOWLEDGE TEST
Answer true or false to the following questions concerning
alcohol use and abuse.
1. Alcohol is a food.
2. Alcohol is a drug.
3. Alcohol is a stimulant.
4. A martini is stronger than a shot of whiskey.
5. Liquor of 100 proof contains 50 percent alcohol.
6. A four-ounce glass of wine, a twelve-ounce can of
beer and an ounce of vodka contains about the same
amount of alcohol.
7. Drinking coffee is the best way to sober up.
3. Intoxication and alcoholism are the same thing.
9. Liquor in any quantity has a bad effect on the body .
10. Everyone reacts the same way to the same amount
of alcohol.
11. Liquor will go to your head faster if you've eaten.
12. There is one cause of alcoholism and that is alcohol.
13. Alcohol contains calories.
14. It is better to sip a drink slowly.
15. Drinking alone is a danger signal.
16. Liquor can kill because it is a poison.
17. Most heavy drinkers are alcoholics.
18. All alcoholics are heavy drinkers.
19. Alcoholism can be cured.
20. Alcohol can make you depressed.
21. Liquor mixed with water will affect you faster than
liquor drunk straight.
22. It's best not to drive a car right after even one drink.
-123-
23. Psychotherapy is the only way to treat someone
with a drinking problem.
24. There is one-half ounce of pure alcohol in a
twelve-ounce can of beer.
25. A person's emotional state can affect his or her
reaction to alcohol.
26. Alcoholism is an illness.
27. Alcoholism is a crime.
28. Heroin and alcohol can cause physical dependence.
29. You have to drink at least a pint of liquor a
day to become an alcoholic.
30. Ski row produces the majority of alcoholics.
31. You can get drunker by switching drinks.
32. Most alcoholics are men.
33. If a person sips a drink slowly over an hour
he or she will probably not feel any effects.
34. You can't become an alcoholic by drinking only wine.
35. Beer and wine have a slower effect than liquor.
36. Alcohol goes directly to the brain.
37. You can sober up by dousing your head in cold
water or taking a cold shower.
38. Moderate drinkers seem to live longer than
people who abstain.
39. It is not yet known whether alcoholism can be inherited.
40. Heavy drinkers know less about alcohol than do
abstainers or light drinkers.
41. Ethnic background, socioeconomic status, education,
and occupation affect the way we drink.
-124-
Key Concept: Physical Effects of Alcohol Use.
ALCOHOL AND THE BODY
The following activity will help students better understand
the effects of alcohol on the human body and why people may get
slurred speech and walk funny after having had too much to drink,
ACTIVITIES:
1. Have all students read "How is Alcohol Absorbed Into
The Body?" Discuss this with the class.
2. Explain to the students that the following information
is about how alcohol affects the brain. Have the
students read "How Does Alcohol Affect Body Functions?"
After reading the article have students answer the
following questions.
a. What are the three layers of the brain and what
functions are associated with each of these areas?
b. Which part of the brain controls memory, reason,
body movement, speech, and vision?
c. What part of the brain is affected first by alcohol?
d. At what blood alcohol content will one begin to
notice slurring of speech.
e. At what blood alcohol content does it become
hazardous to drive.
3. Test the students knowledge of the material presented
with Worksheet 2E.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Ohio Dept. of Education, Alcohol and
Other Drugs: A Curriculum Guide, (Division of School Finance,
Drivers Education Section, Columbus, Ohio, 19), pp. 21-28, 47-48
-125-
How Is Alcohol Absorbed into the Body?
Alcohol proceeds through the digestive system in a unique manner, differently from
any other beverage, food, or drug. Alcohol is not digested; it is absorbed through the
stomach and small intestines directly into the bloodstream. Once the alcohol enters the
circulatory system, the heart's pumping action transports this drug along the blood-
stream through the liver to the brain and other organs of the body.
As the circulating alcohol passes through the liver, the body rapidly eliminates about
10 percent of it through the kidneys, sweat glands, and lungs. Because alcohol evap-
orates in air that is breathed out of the lungs, it is possible to smell alcohol on the breath
of someone who has been drinking. This indicates how quickly and in what an un-
altered state alcohol enters the bloodstream.
The remaining 90 percent of the alcohol concentrated in the bloodstream is oxidized
(mixed with oxygen and eliminated), mostly by the liver, at the rate of .015 percent an
hour. When alcohol is consumed at a faster rate than the rate at which it is oxidized, the
drug accumulates in the blood.
The percentage of alcohol in the bloodstream is measured in terms of the Blood Al-
cohol Concentration (BAC). BAC is expressed as the amount of alcohol in 100 cubic
centimeters of blood. A typical drink (about one-half ounce of alcohol) will usually pro-
duce a BAC of .03 percent in a person weighing 110 to 140 pounds. Since .015
percent (or half the .03 percent BAC) is oxidized each hour, all the alcohol will be ox-
idized after two hours. So, after one typical drink, there is alcohol circulating in the
blood for about two hours.
After consuming two drinks in a hour, the average person will have a BAC of .06
percent, which will require four hours to oxidize. After three drinks, the same person
will have a BAC of .09 percent, which will require six hours to oxidize.
Because the increased concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream greatly affects a
person's ability to function, a person with a BAC of .10 percent is legally defined as
intoxicated.
-126-
How Does Alcohol Affect Body Functions?
While prolonged excessive use of alcohol can interfere with the functions of the digest-
ive and circulatory systems, the most immediate and observable effects of alcohol in the
bloodstream are caused by changes in the functions of the central nervous system, pri-
marily the brain.
As alcohol is carried to the various organs of the body, it is absorbed into these organs
in proportion to the amount of water each organ contains. Because of the high concen-
tration of blood (and therefore water) in the brain, alcohol affects this organ first. To
understand how alcohol affects the brain and produces certain behaviors, one must first
be familiar with the structure and functions of the brain.
Structure and Functions of the Brain
The brain is organized into three hierarchical layers (see illustration 2A) :
(1) the central core
(2) the limbic system
(3) the cerebrum.
Blood travels through the central core and limbic system to the highest, most complex
brain center: the cerebrum. The effects of alcohol are first felt in this area.
The Cerebrum
The cerebrum, the largest part of the brain, is covered by a layer of gray matter called
the cerebral cortex. It is in the cerebral cortex that complex mental activities take place.
In analyzing the cerebral cortex, researchers have found that different brain functions
and activities seem to be localized in our different areas called lobes. The lobes are:
(1) frontal lobe
(2) parietal lobe
(3) temporal lobe
(4) occipital lobe
As illustrated in illustration 2B, each of these lobes is in one of the two cerebral hem-
ispheres (the right and the left) in the cerebrum. The parietal and frontal lobes are sep-
arated by the lateral fissure.
-127-
2A. STRUCTURE OF THE BRAIN
LIMBIC
SYSTEM
CEREBRUM
THALAMUS
HYPOTHALAMUS
MEDULLA
CEREBELLUM
\ CENTRAL CORE
BRAIN STEM
SPINAL CORD
-128-
The brain function areas in the cerebral cortex
Area Location
Association Frontal lobe,
temporal lobe
Motor
Sensory
Language
Auditory
Visual
Frontal lobe
along central
fissure
Parietal lobe,
directly across
from motor area
Frontal lobe,
just above
lateral fissure
Temporal lobe,
just below
lateral fissure
Occipital lobe
include the following:
Function
Controls thought processes
such as learning, memory,
reason, and judgment.
Controls body movement; af-
fects trunk, arms, lips, and
face.
Controls sensory awareness:
feelings of touch— heat, cold,
and pain.
Controls speech. Usually the
speech function is located
in the left hemisphere of
the cerebrum.
Controls hearing.
Controls vision.
The Limbic System
When additional alcohol is consumed, thereby increasing the BAC, the alcohol affects
the next layer of the brain, the limbic system, located below the cerebrum. The func-
tions regulated in the limbic system include:
(1) programming of certain sequential activities
(2) control of emotions
(3) respiration
(4) heart rate.
-129-
Central Fissure
2B
Frontal Lobe
Parietal Lobe
o
I
Lateral
Fissure
Occipital
Lobe
Temporal Lobe
The Central Core
As the concentration of alcohol in the bloodstream increases, the alcohol affects the
central core of the brain which consists of several different structures with various
functions:
Hypothalamus
Thalamus
Cerebellum
Medulla
Brain stem
Controls different types of motivation involving eating, drinking,
and sleeping. The hypothalamus also controls feelings of pleas-
ure, pain, rage, and other emotions. Maintains body temperature.
Functions as a relay station between the lower parts of the cen-
tral nervous system and the higher centers of the brain. To some
extent, the thalamus controls sleeping and waking.
Controls motor coordination and balance.
Controls such vital body functions as automatic reflexes of breath-
ing and coughing.
Contains the nerve fibers that run between the spinal cord and
the brain. The brain stem controls vital body functions of breath-
ing, maintenance of body temperature, and heart rate.
As alcohol accumulates in the bloodstream, it has a progressively depressing effect on
the parts of the brain just described and on their functions. Illustration 2C and the ac-
companying chart show the brain functions affected at various levels of Blood Alcohol
Concentration and describe some of the behaviors exhibited by drinkers at each of the
levels.
-131-
2C ESMi .02% to .05%
mm .06% to .10%
E=! .12% to .15%
Wmm .3% to .4%
.5%
-132-
EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON THE BRAIN
Areas of brain
Amount of
BAC
progressively
Functions
Effects or
alcohol
affected
affected
symptoms
2 drinks in
.02% to
association
reason,
dizziness,
one hour
.06%
area of
cerebrum
judgment
less inhibited
behavior, over-
estimation of
skills, less sound
judgment, slower
reaction time
2 to 3 drinks
.06% to
most of
judgment,
slurring of
in one hour
.10%
cerebrum
reason,
senses, motor
coordination,
vision,
speech
speech, blurring
of vision, loss of
coordination
(including those
skills needed for
driving)
4 to 5 drinks
.12% to
entire
judgment,
double vision,
in one hour
.15%
cerebrum
reason,
motor
coordination,
vision,
speech,
hearing
drowsiness,
loss of balance,
clumsiness
10 to 12 drinks
.3% to
limbic
all above
deep sleep,
in one hour
.4%
system
functions plus:
respiration,
heart rate
coma
more than 12
.5%
central
all above
deep coma,
drinks in
core
functions plus:
death
one hour
respiration,
heart rate,
body
temperature
-133-
WORKSHEET 2E
BRAIN SHADING - ESTIMATED BRAIN INVOLVEMENT
AT VARIOUS BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS
List the brain functions affected at the BAC levels shown in A, B, C, D, and E.
.02% - .05%
-134-
2E (page 2 of 2)
-135-
Key Concept:
Raise awareness of anticipated and unanticipated
consequences of drinking.
ANTICIPATED/UNANTICIPATED CONSEQUENCES OF DRINKING
Although it may seem self-evident, it is important to
emphasize that drinking alcohol produces different consequences
than drinking milk, coffee, tea, cola, or other nonalcoholic
beverages. Drinking alcohol produces intoxication: a unique
biological and behavioral event that has the potential to
influence and become part of other biological and behavioral
events, especially when intoxication is repeated.
The most immediate and anticipated consequences of drinking
alcohol are biological. Some biologically anticipated and
unanticipated consequences are as follows:
Anticipated Biological
Consequences
Unanticipated Biological
Consequences
Intoxication
Euphoria
Pleasant Taste
Calories
Nausea
Vomiting
Hangover
Injuries
Along with biological consequences comes behavioral
consequences. Following are some examples of anticipated and
unanticipated behavioral consequences.
Anticipated Behavioral
Consequences
Stress relief
Forget worries
Feel better about self
Unanticipated Behavioral
Consequences
Must have alcohol to relax
Irritability next morning
Sleep loss
It is important to note that unanticipated consequences of
alcohol use are less likely to occur than anticipated consequences,
and they are more likely to be negative than positive. Anticipated
consequences tend to be immediate, whereas unanticipated consequences
are more likely to be delayed. For example, a hangover is less
likely to occur than intoxication; is more negative than intoxi-
cation; and comes the day after drinking (whereas intoxication is
immediate) . In alcohol education, it could be stressed that the
consequences of moderate drinking are likely to be immediate
and positive, whereas the consequences of over-consumption are
delayed and negative.
-136-
ACTIVITIES:
1. Have students brainstorm what are some anticipated and
unanticipated consequences of drinking. List on the
blackboard.
2. Have students think of a time when they have drunk
alcoholic beverages. Have them fill out a sheet
listing the consequences of their drinking. If a
student has never drunk, have him/her list the con-
sequences of someone else's drinking behavior.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Mills, Kenneth C. and others, Handbook
for Alcohol Education: The Community Approach, (Ballinger
Publishing Co.: Cambridge, Mass., 1983), pp. 205-207.
-137-
Key Concepts: Factors which constitute the amount a person can
drink before becoming intoxicated.
Discussion on "Responsible Drinking".
BEING INTOXICATED - BEING RESPONSIBLE
The amount a person can drink before becoming intoxicated
is determined by the following:
1. weight of the person
2. number of drinks
3. rate of consumption (slower drinking means slower absorption)
4. presence of food in stomach (slows absorption)
5. low body temperature (delays emptying)
In most states .10 is considered to be the accepted blood
alcohol content to be classified as intoxicated. Hand out the
following chart to all students. Have the students determine
how much they could drink in one hour before becoming intoxicated.
Table 15-2.
Approximate
Blood Alt
ohol Leve
in Grams Per 100
ML Aftci
• One
Hour
of Drinking.
NUMBER OF DRINKS
■(12 oz.
beer,
4 oz. w.
tic or
BODT;
V EIGHT IN 1
<DS
1 oz.
85
proof li
quor)
100
120
140
160
180
200
1
0.04
0.04
0.03
0.03
0.02
0.02
2
0.09
0.07
0.06
0.05
0.05
0.04
3
0.13
0.11
0.09
0.08
0.07
0.06
4
0.16
0.14
0.12
0.11
0.10
0.09
5
0.22
0.18
0.16
0.14
0.12
0.11
6
0.26
0.22
0.19
0.16
0.14
0.13
7
0.30
0.25
0.22
0.19
0.17
0.15
8
0.35
0.29
0.25
0.22
0.20
0.17
9
0.39
0.33
0.28
0.25
0.22
0.19
Note: subtract .0] grams/100 ml for each forty minutes of drinking.
Source: The Center for Alcohol Studies
School of Medicine
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
-138-
ACTIVITIES:
BAC =
g/lOOml
BAC =
BAC =
g/lOOml
g/lOOml
BAC =
BAC =
g/lOOml
g/lOOml
1. Use the previous chart to determine the following
blood alcohol concentration (BAC) .
a. 2 drinks/140 lbs/2 hrs
b. 4 drinks/120 lbs/3 hrs
c. 2 drinks/120 lbs/1 hr
d. 5 drinks/120 lbs/2 hrs
e. 8 drinks/180 lbs/3 hrs
ANSWERS: a. .03; b. .19; c. .05; d. .15; e. .15
2. Have the students reflect on a day when they have
drunk one or more alcoholic beverages. Have them
list the type of drink, the number of drinks, how
long it took them to drink it, their weight, and
whether they had eaten any food previous to drinking.
According to the information listed, have the students
estimate where they would be placed on the following
continuum.
-139-
CONTINUUM
PREDICTABLE ALCOHOL EFFECTS FROM THE AMOUNT IN THE BLOODSTREAM
.02 Light and moderate drinkers begin to feel some
effects. Reached usually after one drink.
.04 Most people begin to feel relaxed.
.06 Judgment is somewhat impaired, people are less able
to make rational decisions about their capabilities,
and inhibitions are lowered.
.08 Definite impairment of muscle coordination and driving
skills, responses to stimuli are slowing, judgment
impaired, inhibitions continue to be lowered, and
legally drunk in some states.
.10 Clear deterioration of reaction time and control,
legally drunk in most states.
.12 Vomiting, unless level is reached slowly.
.15 Balance and movement are impaired. About 1/2 pint
of whiskey circulating in blood.
.20 Decreased pain and sensation, marked decrease in
response to stimuli.
.30 Many lose consciousness.
.40 Most lose consciousness, depressed reflexes, anesthesia,
.45 Subnormal temperature, impaired circulation and
respiration.
.50 Death
Discuss the concept of "Responsible Drinking".
Have the students write a statement on where they
feel people could be on the previous continum and
still be called a "Responsible Drinker".
USED WITH PERMISSION: Mills, Kenneth C. , and others, Handbook
for Alcohol Education: The Community Approach, (Ballinger
Publishing Co. , Mass., 1983), pp. 216-219.
-140-
Key Concept: Awareness of "Blood Alcohol Content" based on
time, weight, and number of drinks.
BLOOD ALCOHOL CONTENT
The following activity is a fast, easy way for students
to determine what their blood alcohol content would be based
on time, weight, and number of drinks.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Have each student put together a "Blood Alcohol
Content" Wheel.
2. Using the wheel, have the students determine what
their blood alcohol content would be if they each
consumed the following number of drinks in the given
amount of time.
a. 2 drinks in 1/2 hour
b. 4 drinks in 2 hours
c. 3 drinks in 2 hours
d. 1 drink in 1 1/2 hours
USED WITH PERMISSION: Ohio Dept. of Education, Alcohol And
Other Drugs: A Curriculum Guide, (Division of School Finance,
Drivers Education Section, Columbus, Ohio, n.d.), pp. 43-44.
-141-
WORKSHEET 2C
(page 1 of 3)
^
5V\ol C0/}
+ 1. Set the *CJCI
total number of drinks ^Jv
you've had so far under your
body weight.
2. Read the figure in the top window.
This indicates how much alcohol would be in
your blood if you drank it all at once.
1. Cut out circles on the two pages.
2. Paste each circle on cardboard and then cut out.
3. Cut out the two sections indicated on the smaller circle
(razor may be easier than scissors).
4. Put smaller circle on top of larger one, fasten together through
center with paper fastener being as accurate as possible.
-142-
WORKSHEET 2C
(page 2 of 3)
-143-
Key Concept: Tolerance to alcohol is a step towards alcoholism.
TOLERANCE
Tolerance means that a drinker will need greater doses of
alcohol over time to become intoxicated.
There will be:
1. an adaptation to the amount of alcohol consumed;
2. an adaptation in beliefs about the consequences of use;
3. greater number of beliefs in what he/she expects from
alcohol.
- Before tolerance is developed, a high dose of alcohol would
have resulted in unconsciousness or death.
- Repeated exposure = less effect of the drug = more of the
drug is needed to get the desired effect.
- A person who has developed a tolerance to alcohol may not
appear intoxicated after large quantities of alcohol because
he/she has learned to overcome the unpleasant effects
(slurred speech, loss of balance) and can compensate for it.
ACTIVITY:
1. Hold a discussion on the following comment, "What a Man 1
Still on his feet after a whole fifth."
SOURCE: Mills, Kenneth C. , and others, Handbook for Alcohol
Education: The Community Approach, (Ballinger Publishing Co. :
Cambridge, Mass., 1983), pp. 220-222."
-144-
Key Concept: Awareness of the disease concept of alcoholism.
ALCOHOLISM
It is not uncommon for teenagers to become alcoholics. The
following activities will encourage students to evaluate their
own drinking behavior.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Have each student complete "Alcohol Use-Self-Assessment
Quiz". After taking the quiz discuss the concept of
alcoholism as a disease. Point out that most alcoholics
do not live on skid row but are everyday citizens in
all walks of life.
2. Have the students research the topic of "treatment
centers". Who are they for? Where can people go to
get help with an alcohol problem in Gallatin County?
3. Take the students on a tour of various locations within
Gallatin County that deal with alcoholism. For example:
a. Alcohol Counseling & Education Center
801-H Medical Arts Center
300 N. Willson
Bozeman, MT
b. Gallatin Council on Health & Drugs
15 S. Tracy
Bozeman, MT
PUBLIC DOMAIN: "Alcohol Use - Self-assessment Quiz", Montana
Alcohol & Drug Division, State of Montana Teacher's Guide for
Alcohol Education: Grades 7-12, (Helena, MT., High School,
1979) , p. 18.
-145-
ALCOHOL USE - SELF-ASSESSMENT OUIZ
1. I can drink more than most of my friends.
2. I have been "drunk" at least once a month in the
past year.
3. I can drink 4 or 5 drinks without really feeling it. T
4. I have blackouts (loss of memory about drinking
experiences. )
5. I often drink to forget my problems,
6. When I get drunk I tend to become a "different
person" .
7. I have been arrested for an alcohol-related charge.
8. I often drink alone.
9. I have missed some work because of my drinking.
10. I don't like this quiz because it hits too
close to home.
True
False
T
F
T
F
T
F
T
F
T
F
T
F
T
F
T
F
T
F
NOTE:
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e OABq qqbxui noA qou io xaqqaqw ixas:rno'^ ^se A"xqsauoq pue quauioui
8 xoj doqs 'suiaqx uaq aqq jo Aue (j,) anxq sp paxoxxo aAeq noA ji
'J3A3MOH 'suoxqsanb asaqq oq sibmsup 6uoxm jo qqbxx ou aiE ajraqi,
-146-
Key Concept: Assessment of student knowledge of alcohol and
traffic safety.
ALCOHOL AND TRAFFIC SAFETY
The following "Alcohol and Traffic Safety Ouiz" can be
used as a pre or post test to determine the students knowledge
of drinking and driving.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol and Drug Abuse Division, State
of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education - Grades 7-12,
(Helena, Mt. , 1979), pp. 10-11, 13.
-147-
ALCOHOL AND TRAFFIC SAFETY QUIZ
1. In the state of Montana the blood alcohol level at which a
driver is considered under the influence is: (a) 0.05 per cent
(b) 0.08 per cent (c) 0.10 per cent (d) 0.15 per cent
2. Blood alcohol level can be determined by analyzing the
(a) blood (b) saliva (c) breath (d) urine (e) blood pressure
3. In the state of Montana the chemical test for blood alcohol most
frequently used is: (a) blood (b) saliva (c) breath
(d) urine (e) blood pressure
4. Which of the following least affects blood alcohol level:
(a) stomach content (b) weight (c) drinking experience
(d) time elapsed
5. Studies suggest that driving performance may be impaired when
blood alcohol concentrations are as low as: (a) 0.02 per cent
(b) 0.04 per cent (c) 0.07 per cent (d) 0.10 per cent
6. Which of the following statements best describes an effect of
alcohol on driver performance: (a) blurred vision (b) reduced
hearing ability (c) increased attention span (d) reduced
ability to react quickly
7. Approximately what percentage of fatal traffic accidents
involve the use of alcohol: (a) 10 per cent (b) 25 per cent
(c) 50 per cent (d) 75 per cent
8. Every day in the United States approximately how many people are
killed in car accidents where alcohol was involved: (a) 25
(b) 50 (c) 75 (d) 200 (e) 250
9. The drinking driver may show which of the following: (a) over-
confidence (b) risk taking desires (c) decreased judgment
(d) slower reaction time (e) all of the above
-148-
10. When a non-drinking driver is compared with a drinking driver
who has a .15 per cent blood alcohol level, how much more
likely is it that the drinking driver will become involved
in a traffic accident: (a) no difference (b) 10 times
greater (c) 25 times greater (d) no one knows
11. On the basis of present-day knowledge, the greatest single
driver-related cause of fatal highway collision is:
(a) emotional upsets (b) inattention (c) fatigue (d) alcohol
12. Of all alcohol-related fatal car accidents: (a) 2/3 involve
problem drinkers (b) most involve social drinkers who had
one too many (c) 1/3 involve people who had only a little
to drink (d) no one knows what kind of drinkers are involved
13. Which of the following is most affected by heavy drinking:
(a) brake reaction time (b) color perception (c) the
reasoning process (d) distance judgment
14. If a driver in the state of Montana is arrested and refuses
to take a chemical test, this refusal will result in:
(a) fine of $500 (b) courtroom trial (c) immediate suspension
of one's driver's license (d) all of the above
15. The majority of the general public's response to current
anti-drinking/driving efforts is: (a) they demand an
effective program (b) they exhibit an attitude of tolerance
toward drinking drivers (c) they want harsh penalties for
guilty offenders (d) all of the above
16. Teenagers are more likely to have difficulty driving safely
after drinking because of all the following except:
(a) driving is a new and complicated skill for them
(b) they have had less experience with alcohol's effects
(c) they often weigh less than adults (d) they spend
more time driving than adults do
17. Alcohol use is associated with a significant number of
which of the following: (a) pedestrian accidents
(b) private airplane accidents (c) household accidents
(d) all of the above
TRUE-FALSE QUESTIONS TRUE FALSE
18. The action of alcohol on the nervous system resembles
that of ether or other anesthetics.
19. By eating some solid food along with your drinking
you will not become an intoxicated driver.
20. Judgment, vision, and reaction time in driver
performance are impaired by even small amounts of alcohol,
(continued)
-149-
TRUE FALSE
21. Alcohol affects the latest learned and the most
complicated skills first.
22. Alcohol is a stimulant.
23. Being convicted of DWI will cause an increase
in your car insurance rates.
-150-
ALCOHOL AND TRAFFIC SAFETY QUIZ
ANSWER KEY
1
2,
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
(c)
(c)
(c)
(c)
(a)
(d)
(c)
(c)
(e)
(c)
(d)
(a)
(c)
(c)
(b)
(d)
(d)
True
False
True
True
False
True
.10
all of the above
breath
drinking experience
.02 percent
reduced ability to react quickly
50 per cent
75
all of the above
25 times greater
alcohol
2/3 involve problem drinkers
the reasoning process
immediate suspension of one's driver's license
they exhibit an attitude of tolerance toward drinking drivers
they spend more time driving than adults do
all of the above
-151-
Key Concept: Problems in identifying whether someone is too
drunk to drive.
ASSESSING DRIVING IMPAIRMENT
Have the students discuss whether and how they can tell if
someone has drunk too much alcohol to drive safely by writing
the end to the following story.
The party had been going for over four hours. Everyone had
been talking, joking, and enjoying themselves. A lot of people
had been drinking the rum punch, but there was also beer and
hard liquor. Richard and his wife, Susan, and Darrel and his
wife, Paula, had come together to the party in Richard's car
and spent much of the evening talking with each other.
Richard was having an especially good time. He was drinking
beer all night, almost one right after the other. In fact, Susan
was getting a little nervous because after the last party they
went to, Richard had had a little too much to drink. When he
drove home, he wandered over the center line, went through a
red light, and kept jamming on his brakes very suddenly. So
Susan had decided to check on Richard during this party to see
if he was in condition to drive. But it's difficult at a party
to have a good time and also keep track of how much your
husband has been drinking and if he has drunk too much to
drive safely. Yet Susan had spotted several clear signs that
Richard was not sober enough to drive, and she had talked to
Paula in the ladies' room about Richard. Paula agreed to
stick up for her if she needed help persuading Richard not
to drive because Paula, too, had noticed some signs that Richard
shouldn't be driving.
About an hour later, Darrell suggested they all go home.
But as Richard pulled out the keys to his car . . .
After the students have written their story endings, divide
the group into small groups. Instruct each small group to read
its members' story completions and then agree on ways people
can tell if someone has had too much to drink to drive safely.
-152-
When the groups have completed their work, have a reporter
from each group explain its conclusions to the other students
and list its signs of impairment on a blackboard - for example:
sleepiness (yawning, drooping
eyelids)
slurred speech
unstable walk
unusual clumsiness
excessive talking or silence
silly behavior
unusual energy
more sexual aggressiveness
- boasting
- lack of concentration on
the topic of conversation
- violence, more aggressive-
ness than normal
- any behavior a person does
not usually engage in
- has been observed drinking
the equivalent of two or
more ounces of alcohol (not
drinks) within a period of
an hour
Conclude the activity by pointing out three major problems
involved in identifying people who are too impaired to drive:
* Many drinkers who are impaired seem relatively sober to
others in terms of how they talk, walk, and even drive.
* The more alcohol people drink, the less capable they are
of judging whether they themselves are too drunk to drive,
* A driver's underlying (and often hidden) attitudes toward
driving can become unexpectedly more pronounced after
drinking too much. Some drivers become more reckless,
others more cautious.
USED WITH PERMISSION:
and Jackson Junior High,
1977) , pp. 19-20.
Finn, Peter, and others, Dial A-L-C-O-H-O-L
Abt. Associates Inc.:
Cambridge, Mass.
-153-
Key Concepts: Discrimination between facts and fallacies about
alcohol .
FACTS AND FALLACIES
Give each student a copy of the "Facts and Fallacies" story,
Within the story are misconceptions and/or false statements.
Each sentence begins with a number. Have the students circle
the statements which are not true. Discuss why the statements
are false.
OPTION: Give this as a pre-test prior to discussion or an
evaluation test following discussion on myths about
alcohol .
USED WITH PERMISSION: Engs, Ruth C. & others, "Teaching Strategies",
Health Education, Nov/Dec 1975, Vol. 6, #6, p. 33.
-154-
"FACTS AND FALLACIES" Story
Woody, age 20, resides with his parents in Mt. Pleasant where
2
he is a sophomore at the university. The females on campus find
him very attractive; 6 feet tall, 17 5 pounds, blond curly hair,
and bright blue eyes.
Final exam week has brought about the unusual stress and
4
anxiety many college students experience. In an effort to
5
alleviate the stress, Woody attended a weekend party. It was the
usual kind of party he attended with a lot of women, booze, and
loud music. Many of the females at the party were in constant
pursuit of him because his ability to drink more than anyone else
was viewed as a sign of virility. This is partly due to the fact
Q
that the alcohol he consumed affected his muscles first. In
Woody1 s case, the alcohol also acted as an aphrodisiac, as alcohol
9 .
consumption usually does. With these two factors contributing
to his virility, one can plainly see why he was pursued.
Woody is a fairly bright guy and has established guidelines
for his drinking behavior. First, he always drinks vodka to
12
prevent rapid absorption. Second, he seldom eats any food before
he drinks because it fills his stomach and he cannot hold as many
13
drinks. After all, if it's free booze he wants to get all he
14
can. Third, he drinks slowly instead of gulping his drinks to
prevent getting intoxicated.
Since he is physically a big guy, he really can drink as
much as he wants because he has more body tissue and fluids to
dilute the alcohol.
1 ft
As the evening progressed (3 hours), Woody consumed six
mixed drinks (1 1/2 oz. alcohol per drink) and the only observable
sign he showed was a slight intensification of his talkative
personality.
17
As the party continued, he talked with friends, danced
and asked Joey, an attractive girl clad in jeans, if he could
1 8
drive her home. ' Of course, Joey said yes, and they left the party.
-155-
Should Joey have more carefully considered the possible
20
consequences of leaving with Woody? After all, he was only
drinking moderately and there are no risks if he drinks moderately.
21
He wasn't acting "funny"; the alcohol he drank stimulated him --
22
that's the primary effect it has on a person. ' And because both
his parents are alcoholics he probably has inherited alcoholism
th<
24,
23
from them. Oh well, why should she worry?
The simple truth of this story is that Joey is the
25
_ic and not Woody.
women alcoholics than men
25
alcoholic and not Woody. Everyone knows that there are more
QUESTION: Which statements are false?
ANSWER: (6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 25)
-156-
Key Concept
Awareness of the dangerous effects of alcohol on
the fetus of a pregnant woman.
ALCOHOL AND PREGNANCY
Not enough people are aware of the dangerous effects of
alcohol on the fetus of a pregnant woman; hence, many babies
are still born with "fetal alcohol syndrome". It is essential
that both guys and girls become aware of this danger.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Have each student read the articles call "Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome", and "How Alcohol Affects the Developing Fetus"
Answer the following questions:
a. What are some serious physical problems of babies
who are born with "fetal alcohol syndrome?"
b. What are some signs of alcohol withdrawal of babies
who are born with "fetal alcohol syndrome?"
c. What are some long term effects of "fetal alcohol
syndrome?"
2. Show the film Born Drunk which is available from the
Dept. of Health & Environmental Sciences in Helena.
Hold a classroom discussion on the topic of "fetal
alcohol syndrome" after reading the article and seeing
the film.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Enloe, Cortez, F. , "How Alcohol Affects
the Developing Fetus", and Iber, Frank, L. , "Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome", Nutrition Today, Sept/Oct., 1980, pp. 4-15.
-157-
Drug/
Would you offer a newborn baby a drink of
alcohol? Of course not! But thousands of mothers
are doing just that, even before their babies are
born. The result is devastating, and it is called
fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Babies who have
the syndrome are born with serious problems,
including mental retardation, small heads, and
narrow eyes. Many have joint deformities and
heart problems as well. Dr. David Smith of the
University of Washington states that one in every
350-500 infants is born with some type of defect
caused by the mother's drinking during preg-
nancy. As a result, the U.S. government is now
considering requiring alcohol manufacturers to
include a warning to pregnant women on the
label.
Perhaps you, like many others, are assuming
that these tragic births only happen to women
who are alcoholics. Mothers who drink socially
don't endanger their babies— or do they? Re-
searchers at the University of Washington were
the first to identify FAS in 1973. They also
believed, initially, that only heavy drinking could
harm an unborn child. But their own studies
proved them wrong.
More than 1,500 well-educated, middle-class
mothers were included in the Washington study.
These women were not alcoholics, but "social
drinkers." The results of the study showed that
even moderate drinking (two beers, glasses of
wine or mixed drinks) could have serious effects
on unborn children.
Dr. David Smith reports: "Now we are beginning
to see mild problems in infants whose mothers
had only two drinks per day during pregnancy."
The type of alcohol consumed did not matter.
Beer, wine, and liquor all were capable of causing
the defects. He found also that women who drank
in spurts (once a week, having five or more drinks)
also risked harming their fetuses.
It is interesting to note that alcohol has been a
suspect in birth defects since the times of ancient
Carthage when the bridal couple were forbidden
to drink wine on their wedding night in order that
defective children might not be conceived. And in
1834, a Committee of the House of Commons
noted that infants of alcoholic mothers
sometimes had a "starved, shriveled, and
imperfect look."
Just how alcohol damages unborn children still
is not understood. Some believe the human fetus,
especially during the first three months, is not
able to metabolize alcohol as an adult would.
Therefore, two drinks taken by a mother would
raise the child's blood alcohol level to 10 times
that of the mother. Dr. Sterling Clarren of the
University of Washington noted that the brains of
unborn babies of drinking- mothers revealed that
cells that should have grown into special areas of
the brain just formed a sheet over the surface.
Photo: Courtesy of Kenneth L. Jones, M.D.
University ol California at San Diego
Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome
To add to the problem, children born to mothers
who are alcoholics also are born addicted to
alcohol. During the first 24 hours after birth, they
begin to go through alcohol withdrawal. They are
irritable, may have convulsions, and often have a
serious heart irregularity. Some die of apnea
(stopped breathing), while others suffer from
swelling and tremors. Some babies even smelled
of alcohol at birth, and the fluid surrounding the
baby also contained alcohol. Symptoms of with-
drawal lasted anywhere from one week to six
months. Over half of these babies will be mentally
deficient, many for the rest of their lives. Since
many of the alcoholic mothers also were suffering
from malnutrition, their babies frequently were
premature, underweight, and they had a much
higher than average rate of spontaneous abortion
(miscarriage).
On the basis of these and other studies, Dr.
Smith has declared: "Alcohol is the most
common teratogen (agent causing birth defects).
We would advise any woman considering preg-
nancy or who is already pregnant to avoid alcohol
altogether. It just kills me when I see another
affected child and I know that if the mother had
only known and stopped (drinking), it would not
have happened."
The future of FAS children is not much brighter
than their birth. After one year, FAS children
lagged in height by 65% of normal and in weight
by 38% of normal. Although some heart defects
were correctable, many were not. Most congenital
handicaps will affect the child of an alcoholic
mother for the rest of his/her life.
How much alcohol is too much during
pregnancy? Dr. James Hanson, at the University
of Iowa, estimates that if a woman consumes less
than two ounces of 100-proof alcohol each day,
her chances of triggering birth defects are low,
but not zero. If she drinks 10 ounces or more daily,
the danger could approach 50% or higher. He also
suggests, "If you plan to get pregnant or are
pregnant, don't drink, and if you drink, don't get
pregnant." Future mothers and fathers would be
wise to decide to celebrate pregnancy by toasting
with a glass of milk. It would be safer for everyone
concerned.
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ALCOHOL AND PREGNANCY
THIS IS A
TEACHING AID
ARTICLE
a
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
An astute, perceptive authority has recently discovered a
large gap in medical and nutrition knowledge. He may also have found
a way to prevent the greatest single cause of birth defects.
by FRANK L. IBER, M.D.
Considering how long men and wo-
men have been drinking alcoholic
beverages, it is surprising that it is only
seven years now since the medical profes-
sion first realized — no, awakened would
be a better word — to the fact that when
the pregnant woman drinks she may be
causing her baby to suffer irreversible
birth defects.
Medical researchers have not yet had
time to learn all of the answers to ques-
tions raised by the discovery that a direct
association between alcohol and birth
defects exists. However, such a gap offers
no solace, nor does it offer a reason to
discount the existence of this connection.
It can now be stated with the utmost
conviction that while all of the defects
Dr. Iber is a professor of medicine and
chief of gastroenterology at the Univer-
sity of Maryland Hospital School of Med-
icine. He is also the chief of the alcohol-
ism service at the Loch Raven Veterans
Administration Medical Center.
Dr. Iber wrote for Nutrition Today
'readers in our January /February, 1971
issue: "In Alcoholism, the Liver Sets the
Pace." The 1971 article, as well as the
article appearing here, are also available
as teaching aids.
caused by drinking have not yet been
identified, we do know
• that the ingestion of alcoholic bever-
ages (ethanol, ethyl alcohol) interferes
with normal pregnancy,
• that the effects on the fetus are
permanent,
• that whether they occur or not is a
matter of the basic metabolism of both
the pregnant woman and the fetus,
• and, worst of all, that the deleterious
effects of alcohol in pregnancy may be
more prevalent in the western society
than we now recognize.
Drinking under any circumstances
interferes with many complex systems of
the human body in both men and wo-
men, so it should not be surprising to us
today to learn that drinking during preg-
nancy harms the unborn child. For some
reason this possibility was ignored by the
medical profession. We certainly had
plenty of warning. Way back in biblical
times Judaic observations as set down in
the Holy Bible spoke of the then preva-
lent belief that alcohol would cause birth
defects. In the book of Judges, 13:7, for
example, it says "behold, thou shalt con-
ceive and bear a son, and now drink no
wine or strong drink." This, it turned
out, is better medical advice than physi-
cians have been giving since.
Then in the middle of the last cen-
tury, Charles Dickens, the British novel-
ist, observed that children born of
mothers who were chronically drunk
were frequently mentally defective. This
good advice, like so many of Dickens' so-
cial observations, was ignored by the
medical profession.
This sad state of affairs persisted until
1973 when a remarkably perceptive Se-
attle physician noticed that babies born
of alcoholic women were frequently and
uniformly malformed and often grew to
become children who were mentally
retarded.
The physician is David W. Smith,
M.D., of the Department of Pediatrics of
the University of Washington in Seattle.
It was Dr. Smith who first noticed the
phenomena. He was the first to describe
it accurately, and it was he who named
this scourge of babies today the fetal al-
cohol syndrome or FAS for short.
We don't yet know to what extent the
defects are dependent on the amount of
alcohol consumed, but it does appear
that the pregnant woman does not have
to be a full-blown alcoholic in order to
give birth to a baby that grows up re-
tarded or a child that exhibits one or
more of the characteristic FAS deformi-
ties when it is born. It does seem reason-
able to believe that drinking any amount
of alcohol in excess of the level to detox-
ify it will put the fetus at risk.
In the alcoholic mother-to-be alcohol
evokes its harm in part because she has a
tolerance to many of the behavioral ef-
fects that prompt less experienced drink-
ers to curtail their intake before they
suffer the flagrant symptoms of drunken-
ness. Alcoholics, on the other hand, usu-
ally get their intake up to more than 100
grams of ethanol a day. This is equiva-
lent to at least eight beers, a little less
than a pint of whiskey, or more than a
bottle of wine. This amounts to about
half of the caloric intake in such drink-
ers. Thus the likelihood of malnutrition
(which also affects the fetus) is en-
hanced. Furthermore, the addiction
causes many things to occur that influ-
ence her sexuality, fertility and, as we
now know, thanks to Dr. Smith and his
perceptive colleagues, her pregnancy. As
for sexual behavior, light drinking in-
creases sexual desire but heavy drinking
impairs it. It impairs judgment, a fact
-160-
Characteristic Anatomical Defects
that are Signs of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
Low nasal bridge
Short palpebral fissures,
obscure the canthus, or
inner corner of the eye,
a normal feature in
certain species of the
Mongolian race
Indistinct philtrum,
an underdeveloped
groove in the center
of the upper lip
between the nose
and the lip edge
Small head
circumference
Epicanthic
folds
Short nose
Small midface
Thin reddish
upper lip
PHO'O COUOTESY HiJU
Epicanthus is a characteristic of the eye
where a vertical fold of skin extends from
the root ol the nose to the inner termina-
tion ot the eyebrow, sometimes covering
the inner canthus. Its presence is normal
in certain ot the Mongolian races but a tell-
ing deformity in FAS.
-161-
David W. Smith, M.O. is a pediatrician from Seat-
tle to whom the world is indebted for having
been the first to identify and catalog the signs
and symptoms of the fetal alcohol syndrome.
He shares the credit with many associates.
that could certainly cause her to neglect
to take contraceptive pills, and make the
alcoholic all the more likely to become
pregnant. Add to this the fact that the
addiction is expensive. For some women
who do not have the money, it makes it
easier for them to sell their sexual favors
to support their addiction. Menstruation,
ovulation, fertility, and even the ability
to carry a pregnancy are heavily bur-
dened by excessive drinking. Despite all
of these impediments, however, alco-
holic women all too frequently do be-
come pregnant. Whether more addicts
have more unwanted pregnancies than
do normal women I do not know, but
the circumstances are certainly stacked
for that to be so. Given the widespread
use of alcohol by women of child-bearing
age and the connection between the
habit and FAS, the outlook is not bright.
Consider this. In North America,
nine out of ten women of child-bearing
age are said to drink occasionally. The
most reliable statistics also indicate that
seven out of every ten of these women
drink regularly, which is to say that they
have a cocktail every evening, for exam-
ple. Most surprising of all is that one out
of twenty women in this same critical
age group is a confirmed alcoholic. So
we can see that social behavior and cus-
tom add to the likelihood of FAS.
LABORATORY RESEARCH
In the search to explain the phenome-
non Dr. David Smith observed in human
infants, animal studies have since been
done. This laboratory research shows
clearly that it is the alcohol and not the
An editorial about Dr. Smith and his dis-
covery will be found on page 16.
The pathologic physiology of alcohol and
the fetus are discussed by C. F. Enloejr.,
in a separate article appearing on page 12
of this issue.
activities of the mother that cause birth
defects. Alcohol interferes with organ
development, even when the nutritional
status of the animal is maintained in a
fully adequate manner.
Two types of experiments have been
conducted.
Since animals will not voluntarily
consume half of their total calories as
ethyl alcohol, it has been necessary to
mix the alcohol in a liquid diet so that
the animal is left no choice but to con-
sume the alcohol in the food or starve.
Most species of experimental animals co-
operate. When such diets are fed to
female rats, mice, hamsters, and chim-
panzees that have mated, they produce
offspring whose brain is underdeveloped
and whose heart, limbs, and kidneys are
frequendy malformed. When the dose is
changed the number of malformations
varies likewise. One may assume that
such teratogenic defects are related to
the intensity of the exposure to alcohol.
These effects appear to be most marked
if alcohol is added to the animal's diet
during the period of pregnancy when or-
gans are being formed. On the other
hand, curiously enough in an additional
experiment such effects have been seen
with regularity when alcohol is adminis-
tered and the blood-alcohol level of the
animal is elevated immediately prior to
conception.
Male chauvinists will be relieved to
learn that no deleterious effects have
been observed in offspring conceived
when the male's alcoholic blood level is
elevated, a not entirely infrequent occur-
rence. Thus it can be said that it is the
amount of alcohol circulating in the wo-
man's blood that's crucial.
The most exciting recent data reveals
new (and disturbing) information about
the learning ability of rats and mice born
of mothers who have been on diets con-
taining only relatively low levels of alco-
hol. Anatomically, such infant animals
appear in every way to be normal. How-
ever, when tested at various stages in
later life, it becomes obvious that their
learning ability is impaired. Mice ex-
periments just mentioned offer per-
suasive evidence that the degree of im-
pairment appears to correlate with the
amount of alcohol that the mother in-
gests. It ranges from slight to marked im-
pairment in the ability to leam as dem-
onstrated in such standard tests as shock
avoidance, maze running, and complex
tasks of adaption experiments that are
well characterized in rats. This evidence
should be a solemn warning to the seven
out of ten women who are not alcoholics
but who have a drink or two each day.
Animal experiments using miniature
swine who ingest alcohol readily with
food, and who are also fecund, have also
produced interesting results. From such
models important pieces of information
have been gleaned. For example,
alcohol-drinking sows reproduce more
frequently. And, as is now to be ex-
pected, their offspring are more severely
affected with FAS. In one experiment
with miniature pigs, one out of four ani-
mals in the first litter was severely de-
formed. In the second litter three out of
five pigs showed FAS. In this model, at
least, there is a clear dose response, a
curve that demonstrates a direct rela-
tionship between the amount of alcohol
ingested and the severity of the damage
to the offspring. Figure 1 summarizes
these ideas.
Figure 1. What animal experiments reveal are likely effects of alcohol on the fetus.
" 1 6 2 - NUTRITION TODAY September /October, 1980 7
The Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Is not always looked lor nor
is every physician and nurse tamilitr with its telltale
manifestations. Hence, these figures are only estimates.
The actual figures may be higher than we think.
1.1
0.4
2.6
RURAL TOWN
Low Alcoholism Rate
SMALL CITY
Moderate Alcoholism Rate
METROPOLITAN AREA
High Alcoholism Rate
Figure 2. Incidence ot the full fetal alcohol syndrome for each 1,000 live births in America
EFFECTS OF FAS
FAS in its most exquisite, full-blown
development is revealed in a child by nu-
merous defects in cranio-facial develop-
ment, in prenatal and postnatal growth,
and mental insufficiency. None of these
defects correct themselves as the child
grows older. Table 1 lists these major
features.
This is the type of infant that is fre-
quently born to women who, careful in-
terrogation reveals, admit to having five
or more drinks a day (i.e., 60 grams or
more of alcohol) throughout pregnancy.
In twins born to alcoholic women
some curious inconsistencies have been
noticed. For example, three pairs of fra-
ternal twins (those from separate eggs)
have been observed in which one twin
exhibited all of the physical deformities
of the syndrome while the other twin
was apparently normal. We do not know
whether the second twin showed de-
creased mental acuity in later life. This
suggests that the genetic susceptibility
may be important. Otherwise at the
present state of our knowledge this in-
consistency defies explanation.
The only known affected identical
twins, which is to say those from one
egg, were equally deformed.
We do not yet know how prevalent
the FAS is in America (fig. 2). The main
reason is that recognition of the existence
of the syndrome is so new that not all
physicians have had time to become ex-
perienced in recognizing its signs and
symptoms. In Seattle, where the syn-
drome was first defined, and pediatri-
cians have been alert for the longest
time, it is estimated that approximately
• NUTRITION TODAY September/October, 1980
one child is born with FAS in each nine
hundred live births. Similar observations
in New York City indicate that the inci-
dence is one in each four hundred births.
The data suggests that FAS occurs about
as frequently as the trisomy 21 Down's
Syndrome. Given the fact that it most
usually causes mental impairment, the
prevalence of FAS may make it the most
common birth defect of which we are
currently aware. For example, of over
eighteen women in Brooklyn, New York,
who were identified as having been
heavy drinkers during pregnancy, twelve
'■i&r-'?:
Major Features of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
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decreased fat stores^
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-163-
gave birth to FAS damaged babies. Five
of these babies had every one of the de-
formities of the head and face (i.e., the
full syndrome) . In other studies of alco-
holic mothers from two and one-half to
nine percent produced babies with full
FAS. From thirty-three to thirty-eight
percent produced babies with some of
the minor abnormalities. In both such
studies, however, mothers who were not
alcoholics had less than ten percent of
even the minor abnormalities. Thus vari-
ous studies show that three to twenty-
nine percent of the children born to
mothers who drink heavily during preg-
nancy have full FAS, and at least one out
of three of the babies in all of these
studies have minor congenital abnormal-
ities. Careful mental testing of such chil-
dren at one year of age would probably
lead to the recognition of brain damage
in even more children. No doubt in later
life an additional group would exhibit
learning impairments which are of
course difficult if not impossible to detect
in the newborn.
The basis of the evidence in these
studies that have just been described is
the result of interviews where mothers
were asked about their alcohol intake. It
is not surprising that these women are re-
luctant to admit to drinking; neverthe-
less, one of every three women inter-
viewed has been recorded as a moderate
drinker. Mothers of deformed infants
naturally loathe to admit that their
weakness as manifested by drinking
might be responsible for the deformities
of their child. No study has yet overcome
this problem.
Complex epidemiological studies of
pregnant women enrolled in prepaid
medical care plans, who were followed
regularly with self-administered or
volunteer- administered questionnaires
about their drinking and smoking habits,
indicate that spontaneous abortion is also
higher in women who take more than
two alcoholic drinks a day, as compared
to those who respond that they do not
drink. The risk to the child of a woman
who drinks only once in a while and who
then goes on a one night spree, by expos-
ing the fetus at, say, a critical stage of
brain development, is not fully consid-
ered in most studies, which speak of only
average intake. Thus, the full FAS which
occurs most frequently in the offspring of
alcoholic women who have five or more
drinks a day is only the tip of the iceburg
of fetal alcohol damage.
Alcoholic women, like alcoholic men,
frequently abuse the use of other toxic
substances that can affect the fetus. They
take more drugs, such as tranquilizers,
drink more coffee, and smoke more ciga-
rettes than do other people. They usually
consume an unbalanced diet, and have
been noted to be deficient in vitamins,
minerals, and protein. For this reason
the human data relevant to the damaged
children born to alcoholic mothers was
PHOTOS COUPTEST » P STBtlSSOUTM w 0
The fetal alcohol syndrome is no respecter of age. Here is the same child at birth (left), at 8 months
(center), and at 4% years of age (right). This child's IQ was from 40 to 45 at each evaluation from 8
months on.
viewed with skepticism by many observ-
ers when it was first reported. However,
the peculiar combination of abnormali-
ties of prenatal and postnatal growth
and mental retardation, along with the
highly specific animal data, lend strong
support to the hypothesis that the FAS is
indeed a well defined syndrome that is
due directly to alcohol consumption. Ep-
idemiologic investigations about the use
of nicotine, caffeine, tranquilizers such
as diazepam (Valium), and malnutrition
fail to reveal the pattern of FAS when
alcohol is not involved.
The original report of FAS by Dr.
Smith in 1973 was followed in the short
period of three years by the identifica-
tion of forty-one such affected children
in the Seattle area alone. By 1978, five
years after the first report, eighty-five
children were observed and identified in
the university city of Tuebingen, Ger-
many. More than three hundred such af-
fected children have been reported from
the major alcohol-using countries of the
world. As more nurses, physicians,
teachers, and the public become aware
of what to look for, we expect that the
incidence of recognition will soar. It is
now estimated that in the western world
throughout which the pattern of alcohol
consumption by women is fairly uni-
form, and where it can be said that ^he
incidence of alcoholism in women is
about the same, of every thousand live
births one or two will exhibit the full
syndrome. Some evidence of the syn-
drome will be seen in as many as six of
every thousand children. There has not
yet been time to learn how many chil-
dren will show some mental retardation
in later life because their mothers drink.
If the rate is, let's say, only two FAS ba-
bies per thousand live births in the
United States and Canada, then the
number of children so affected is very
great. It means that in the United Statec
alone there are at least twelve thousand
PHOTOS COUPTESY A P STPEISSGUTM. M 0
The fetal alcohol syndrome is no respecter of race. Note the similarity of defects in the North
American Indian (left), a black (center), and a white child (right). All are mentally retarded.
-164-
PHOTO COURTESY 0 W SMITH MO
A characteristic feature of FAS is a smaller head
circumference (sketch) than usual (outline).
children born each year with an anatom-
ical and mental deformity and that
twelve hundred such babies enter Cana-
dian society each year.
Like all other substances that cause
the birth of physically and mentally ab-
normal offspring, the effect of alcohol is
varied by a combination of genetic sus-
ceptibility, maternal nutrition or mal-
nutrition, and the intensity of the insult
to which the fetus is subjected. As has
been said earlier, with only one or two
exceptions the advanced syndrome ap-
pears to occur only in mothers who con-
sume a reasonably large amount of alco-
hol daily throughout pregnancy or who,
from time to time, go on binges of ex-
treme consumption. The mean intake of
seventy-two grams of ethyl alcohol daily
for those mothers in whom this intake
can be measured reveals just how heavily
they do drink. In some other studies, the
complete syndrome has been noted in
those who have four or five drinks a day
and average at least forty-five drinks a
month. These data should be no comfort
to the woman who may have three or
four drinks in one evening while she is
pregnant and then no more for a day or
two, because no data yet exists that in-
dicates a safe level of alcohol consump-
tion during pregnancy. It is quite clear
from the animal data measuring im-
paired learning, and in laboratory spe-
cies that have been observed, that injury
occurs even when lesser amounts of alco-
hol are consumed than those needed to
produce the anatomical deformities of
the head and face.
The syndrome in its full blown form
has major elements that are easily ob-
served and can be set forth in the accom-
panying figures and charts. To meet
these requirements there must be present
elements of brain injury traceable to de-
ficiency in intellectual and neurological
growth. These are clearly apparent at
age one and thereafter, but are not per-
ceptible in the first year of life. Even at
birth, however, it is easy to see that the
child with FAS is too small, is not long
enough, nor does it weigh enough for an
estimated gestational age.
The circumference of its head is even
smaller than it should be for the reduced
size. These are impairments that remain
throughout life. There is no such thing as
the FAS child catching up.
This is a teaching aid article. Price
and delivery dates are available on re-
quest. For institutions and anti-
alcohol programs, bulk prices will be
available at a discount. Ordering
information will be ready by January
1, for delivery after February 1.
Figure three shows a weight and
height graph for the syndrome with data
obtained during the first year of life in
several of these children. In contrast to
most other forms of low birth weight and
height there is no postnatal catch-up
growth. These infants are repeatedly
evaluated for failure to thrive and at all
times in subsequent growth they remain
more than 2SD below the average, with
weight usually being more severely im-
paired. The impaired adipose tissue de-
posits results in these children remaining
skinny. Most studies of the reasons for
the impaired size is a prenatal insult to
cell proliferation leading to diminished
numbers of fetal cells.
The best known symptoms of FAS
are the abnormal features one can ob-
serve in the face (table 1). They are best
understood by postulating that the brain
and the part of the face dependent upon
a brain of normal size just did not de-
velop adequately to fill out the face. The
eyes are too close together. There is the
fold that covers the inner corner of each
eye, a phenomenon that is normal in
PHOTO COUPTEST S. K. CURREN. M 0.
FETAL
ALCOHOL
SYNDROME
Data from
first year
of life
Length
BIRTH
Weight
birth;
Normal infants
FAS infants
Head
Circumference
BIRTH
Figure 3. Growth Chart
Compare the size of the brain ol a normal new-
born infant with that of an infant with FAS who
died five days after birth (lower specimen). The
affected brain exhibits a gyral pattern obscured
by a leptomeningeal neuroglial heterotopia.
-165-
PHOTO COURTESY NUU
The anatomical defects of fetal alcohol syn-
drome last a lifetime, as shown by this patient
who is seventeen years old.
people of the mongoloid race (and for
what reason we do not know). There is
virtually no bridge to the nose just before
the forehead and the organ itself sits too
close to the upper lip. The normal pair
of ridges divided by a small valley that
extends from the bottom of the nostril
septum to the upper lip is absent, and
there is a turned upper vermilioned
border.
The syndrome is now well character-
ized in an accumulation of reports that
have appeared in the world's literature
(table 1).
Studies comparing the intelligence
with the prominence of the facial char-
acteristics within the group of fetal alco-
hol syndrome patients indicate clearly
that the more severe the facial character-
istics, the more severe the impairment of
mental function suggesting that alcohol
is responsible for both. A few careful au-
topsy studies of the brain structure in the
fetal alcohol syndrome exist and the
cortical cells of the cerebellum and
the cerebrum show the most marked
abnormalities.
• Full FAS
□ Morphologic defects
X
0
0 Fetal wastage and absorption
X All congenital abnormalities
a
X
0
a
on
•
X
0
□
•
0
yO
□
e
•
G
•'*«$&
Figure 4. Probable relationship of daily alcohol consumption during pregnancy to the occurence of
birth defects.
Animal data supports these observa-
tions with the findings of cerebral corti-
cal developmental and myelination
changes in the fetus exposed to alcohol.
In addition to the facial characteris-
tics noted in the patient illustration and
in figure 1 there are many others that are
frequent, but a little less common. In the
eyes, ptosis, strabismus, and epicanthal
folds over the inner angle of the eye are
often seen; myopia is a bit rarer. Both
posterior rotation and poorly formed
ears are seen. In the mouth prominent
lateral palatine ridges, cleft lip, cleft pal-
ate, and small teeth with faulty enamel
are observed. Atrial and ventricular sep-
tal defects in the heart have been ob-
served. There are aberrant palmar
creases, pectus excavatum, and many
other hypoplastic bone and joint abnor-
malities. Available follow-up studies
indicate that the abnormalities are per-
manent; there is little evidence that the
child grows out of it or overcomes the
defect.
SAFE CONSUMPTION?
The question is frequently asked,
"What is a safe level for alcohol con-
sumption in the pregnant woman?" The
most conservative answer is that the
Dr. Iber and the editors of Nutrition Today wish to express their deep
appreciation to David W. Smith, M.D., professor of pediatrics and Ann
Pytkowicz Streissguth, professor in the department of psychiatry and
behavioral sciences, both at the University of Washington, Seattle.
The thanks of everyone, everywhere, should go to Dr. David Smith
for his perception in being the first to make us all aware of the signs and
symptoms of the fetal alcohol syndrome. —Ed.
thoughtful women contemplating preg-
nancy would avoid all alcohol from the
time of conception until the child is
born. The hardest scientific data on the
striking structural changes that make up
the clear facial characteristics of the fetal
alcohol syndrome is that four or five
drinks daily should be avoided to pos-
sibly forgo the full blown syndrome. The
available animal data indicates clearly
that one-fifth of the level of alcohol
needed to produce major morphological
changes will surely produce learning im-
pairment in adults born of alcoholic
dams even though they are morpholog-
ically normal. Under this circumstance,
any alcohol amount approaching one
drink each day of pregnancy is of the
magnitude to produce this form of
damage. The prudent conclusion is that
alcohol is undesirable during pregnancy.
It seems clear that the unborn child
has the most sensitive of all tissues to
alcohol injury. In adults, fifty grams of
alcohol per day seems capable of produc-
ing liver damage if utilized over many
years; lesser amounts of alcohol seem
safe. In contrast, half this amount of
alcohol to the pregnant woman taken
through pregnancy will produce mental
changes in the newborn. These ideas are
summarized in figure 4.
The fetal alcohol syndrome is emerg-
ing as the most prevalent single cause of
mental impairment in the Western
world. Many exciting programs to recog-
nize drinking in obstetrics and gynecol-
ogy practices, to educate mothers-to-be
of this hazard, and possibly even to label
this hazard on alcoholic beverages are
under discussion. This syndrome now
clearly described in its advanced form
will shortly enter the prevention phase.
We all await — what really works. ©
-166-
NUTR1T10N TODAY September/October, 1980 11
PATHOLOGIC PHYSIOLOGY OF
ALCOHOL AND PREGNANCY
How Alcohol Affects
the Developing Fetus
Some observations about the normal and abnormal physiology
of the pregnant woman who drinks. These reflections make it clear
why we should all read the Holy Bible more carefully.
by CORTEZ F. ENLOE, JR., M.D.
Wien Dr. Iber wrote in the January/
February, 1971 issue of Nutrition
Today that "In Alcoholism, The Liver
Sets the Pace," he helped us understand
why drinking more than a moderate
amount of alcohol causes the beverage to
escape the detoxifying system of the liver
and reach the developing fetus. The fetal
alcohol syndrome or FAS, as it has since
come to be known, had not been recog-
nized at the time of Dr. Iber's report.
There can be little doubt, however, that
as he pointed out, the rate at which the
liver can spare the body the damage of
alcohol is "a linear function of time." He
provided us with the clue to the fact that
once alcohol consumption reaches a stage
in which the alcohol blood level in the
portal circulatory system between the di-
gestive tract and the liver exceeds the ca-
pacity of the liver to detoxify it, trouble
is sure to occur. The excess alcohol passes
on into the general circulation and the
person becomes drunk. And drunkenness
Or. Enloe is the editor of Nutrition To-
day magazine.
is a primary cause of crime, of automo-
bile accidents, of fatal crashes by private
airplanes, and, now it seems, it may also
be a principal cause of mental retarda-
tion and birth defects by making the fe-
tus drunk. This then is reason enough to
look at the pathologic physiology in the
pregnant woman who drinks.
At first blush one could easily be sus-
pected of trivializing a serious matter
when they observe that the pregnant wo-
man who craves the psychologic release
of a cocktail would do well to eat while
she drinks. There is sound medical rea-
soning behind this advice because by eat-
ing as she sips, she slows the absorption
of alcohol, or ethyl alcohol, or to be ex-
act, ethanol, to use the contraction, from
her stomach into the portal circulatory
system. The slower the absorption rate,
the better the chance that the liver will
be able to break down the alcohol and
keep it out of the general circulation.
As Dr. Iber pointed out, the moment
one takes a drink, the alcohol that first
reaches the stomach is quickly absorbed.
However, if one then nibbles a bit of
cheese or a mini-frankfurter hors
d'oeuvre absorption is slowed. And the
greasier the tidbit the better, because the
presence of fat slows absorption of alco-
hol through gastric mucosa. By these
willful acts — sipping drinks slowly and
eating all the while — the liver, which
has only a limited capacity to detoxify
and metabolize any agent, is given an
opportunity to reduce alcohol from the
stomach into innocuous acetaldehyde
and acetic acid, and these two substances
subsequendy break down into carbon di-
oxide and water. This chain of events is
clearly established. It is only part of the
routine activity of the liver, a large, busy
factory alive with metabolic chemical re-
actions that break down nutrients and
other chemicals absorbed from the stom-
ach and intestine into less complex units
so the body can use or dispose of them.
PORTAL PROTECTION
This emphasizes the virtues of the
portal system because through its vessels
everything that leaves the stomach or the
small intestine must first go to the liver
before it can pass into the body's general
circulatory system. However, as Dr. Iber
pointed out, the trouble is that the liver's
capacity is limited and inflexible. As he
told us, in the case of alcohol, the liver
can handle about ten milliliters an hour.
Or, to put it another way, it means that
it will take the liver of the average per-
son from five to six hours to fully oxidize
the alcohol in four ounces of whiskey or
two and one half pints of beer. This is
why three drinks at lunch puts President
Carter's mythical executive off his beat
for the afternoon. This can only be
avoided if one were to spread their alco-
hol intake of such drinks evenly over four
hours' time, an unlikely event because
then they would get little or no lack from
drink at all.
The trouble begins when the liver re-
ceives more alcohol than it can handle.
It simply lets the excess pass into the gen-
eral circulation and picks out that which
it can detoxify at its leisurely pace as it
passes back through the liver. Thus it
permits the host to enjoy the intoxicating
pleasures of alcohol until the organ has
time to pick it up and reduce it to carbon
dioxide and water. If the amount is such
that the transfer of acetaldehyde exceeds
ta \urfi/no\ todav <>«(«,un*j«, ;<wn
-167-
the body's capacity, the acetaldehyde
concentration increases and that's what
causes a hangover.
The blood-alcohol curve chart dra-
matically depicts the effect of food on
absorption rates of various spirits. The
chart was compiled by one of the great-
est practical pharmacologists, Chauncey
D. Leake, Ph.D. (For more information
about Dr. Leake, see the May/June, 1978
issue of Nutrition Today.)
The alcohol that circulates freely in
the blood waiting to be detoxified
reaches all of the body's organs and has a
special affinity for the brain and the per-
son becomes intoxicated. In the case of
the pregnant woman something else also
occurs. In her case there's also the baby
growing within her body to be thought
of. The simple answer is that it too re-
ceives its share of alcohol. The amount of
the concentration of alcohol that the
baby is bathed in, and keep in mind that
we are speaking of raw ethyl alcohol, re-
gardless of whether it comes from wine,
spirits, or beer, depends on three things.
First, how much the mother drinks, of
what land of alcoholic beverages the
mother has consumed; second, in what
period of time she drinks it; and third,
whether she slows the emptying time of
her stomach by eating as she drinks. If
she has sipped a martini containing, say,
one and one-half ounces of gin over a pe-
riod of two hours — an unlikely feat for a
martini drinker — all the while nibbling
on cheese hors d'oeuvres, the baby may
not be damaged. Any faster drinking, or
no food of consequence, however, and
the fetus is sure to get an alcohol bath.
BATHTUB GIN
This point was made very clearly
long, long ago when, as Dr. Iber tells us,
it was clearly stated in the Bible as an
admonition to pregnant women.
As is so often the case in medical
discovery, now that we know what hap-
pens in the fetal alcohol syndrome, look-
ing upon the basic effect of alcohol on
the tissues, it is hard to understand why
medical scientists were so slow in realiz-
ing that ethyl alcohol is bound to injure
the virtually defenseless tissues in the de-
veloping fetus.
Consider this fact, that we physicians
overlooked. In the very first university
courses in general chemistry, students
are taught that alcohol is a dehydrating
agent. It has an inexplicable capacity to
absorb water without markedly increas-
ing its own volume. As anyone who
made "bathtub gin" during the prohibi-
tion era knows, one has to use more than
a pint of water and a pint of ethyl
alcohol in order to obtain a quart of gin.
Here two pints don't make a quart be-
cause the alcohol absorbs some of the
water. (Chemistry will ignore the few
drops of juniper juice that are added for
flavor!) This phenomena is usually dem-
onstrated in beginning college chemistry
f ROM ALCOHOLIC IftflUCfl IN CLINICAL UCDKlMl BY CHAuNCEY
0 LEAKE AND WILTON SILVERMAN
Typical blood-alcohol curves resulting from ingestion of various spirits, wines and beer, each at
amounts equivalent to 0.6 gm of alcohol per kilogram of body weight.
when the instructor will mystify his
young audience by taking a beaker with
100 milliliters of water and a beaker
with 100 milliliters of alcohol, mixes
them in a large graduate and lo and
behold the resulting volume is not 20*0
milliliters but only about 185 milliliters.
The alcohol behaving like a liquid
sponge has simply absorbed some of the
water. This ability of alcohol to absorb
water is the reason that it stings abraded
tissue. It simply draws some of the water
out of it. It is the reason why raw
alcohol will irritate the lining of the
stomach after sufficient exposure and ex-
plains why drunkards frequently suffer
from gastritis. It is also as good a reason
as we can think of why the brain of a
child of a drunken mother is smaller
than the brain of a normal child. In an
autopsy, as accompanying photographs
show, the brain of the child that has
been exposed to alcohol can best be
described as appearing desiccated. It
may also be a reasonable biochemical ex-
planation why that same child is re-
tarded. They simply do not have the
same amount of brain tissues as do nor-
mal children because alcohol has with-
drawn some of the fluid from the devel-
oping brain cells and they have died or
remain functionless.
BIOLOGICAL COMPUTER
In the adult, alcohol damages the
brain ceils in a similar manner. In so do-
ing it slows the passage of nerve im-
pulses. The neurological reticulum of the
brain is particularly affected. This is the
part of the organ which can be com-
pared to a biological computer that re-
ceives the signals of the remainder of the
brain, coordinates them, and sends them
back to their proper place. In the fetus
-168-
this is the portion of the brain that first
develops. In the adult, when alcohol de-
presses the activity of the reticulum the
signals going to the cortex, which regu-
lates thought, become disorganized. This
is the reason that a drink or two releases
man from his inhibitions. This slight dis-
organization, which enhances release
from serious thought, is what has made
alcohol attractive to man since the be-
ginning of time. After loss of inhibitions,
another drink or two will begin to affect
the motor process. This explains why the
person who drinks first loses temper-
mental restraint and says more than he
ought to before he reaches the stage
where his speech becomes slurred and his
motor coordination causes him to have
trouble putting one foot properly in front
of the other.
The fetus doesn't think or walk.
Nonetheless, it is reasonable to suppose
that the developing reticulum or the
mental computer that is constantly
bathed in ethyl alcohol soon adapts to
that milieu. Short circuits develop and
no amount of education in later life can
realign them.
In making this adaptation to the al-
cohol environment the cells are following
a pattern of growth and behavior that is
one of the established facts of human
physiology. They are doing the same
thing that the muscles of the arm do
when it is put into a sling. Those mus-
cles, being unused, quickly begin to at-
rophy and waste away. Once the sling is
removed, the muscles have to be re-
trained by physical rehabilitation.
THE CELL'S WISDOM
We can see the same phenomenon at
work in the endocrine system. Give a
normal animal or woman large doses of
NUTRITION TODAY September /October. 1980 13
Low rat* of alcohol into**. The liver Is able to
"niter" IM mother's blood, removing tho alco-
hol before It can enter her circulatory system
and affect her brain and the fetus.
Wan rat* of oJcohol intake. The threshold of the
liver's ability to treat the continuing high level of
alcohol in the blood is surpassed. As the Wood
enters the mother's circulatory system It con-
tinues to carry alcohol with It. suffusing her brain
and the fetus with mis toxic substance.
BRAIN
ALCOHOL INTAKE
TO
OTHS?
ORGANS.
UVER *Jg*
WASTE
UVER
WASTE
t*^??* h'30.^ Sh0Wi"a ,h* ,hresh0,d characteristic of tho liver's ability to metabolize alcohol carried in the Blood. When the threshold is ex-
ceeded-when the liver cannot cope-the alcohol carried through the mother's circulatory system suffuses her brain and the fetus.
female sex hormone over a period of
time, then suddenly withdraw it, and it
will be observed that the ovaries have
ceased to produce their normal amounts
of estrogen.
This habit of a cell to lose its basic
function when that function is distorted
or replaced by external factors, is one of
the dangers of giving excessive amounts
of cortisone to the person who still has a
functioning adrenal cortex that manu-
factures the same hormone.
It is reasonable, therefore, to suspect
when the cells of the developing fetal re-
ticulum are bathed with desiccating
alcohol they soon adapt to that state
wherein the abnormal 'becomes to them
the normal. This might be called the
phenomenon of the wisdom of the cell.
The fact that the brain in both the
adult and the developing baby has a rich
supply of blood means that a majority of
the alcohol -laden blood soon reaches the
most easily damaged area. In the case of
the fetus, we have known for some time
that the alcohol in the blood of the
mother easily crosses the barrier from the
decidua (the temporary lining that forms
in the mother's uterus to hold the pla-
centa of the baby in place) into the
placenta and thus heads for the organ
that has the highest coefficient of affinity
for alcohol of any organ in the body.
14
NUTRITION TODAY September /October. 1980 ■, r n
NATURE'S WONDERS
Nature does many wondrous things
to protect the growing fetus from the
careless behavior of the mother in whose
womb it nestles. The uterus is a mighty
muscular fortress that protects the infant
from even the most extraordinary me-
chanical injury. One might have thought
that nature would have made the pla-
centa a bit more discriminating and not
let the alcohol cross the barrier into the
baby's tissues, but this is not the case. It
seems that nature might have provided
this protection because there is not inter-
mingling of the mother's blood and fetal
blood. One of the first things that occurs
when the ova of the female is insemi-
nated by the sperm of the male and cell
division and growth begins is that a cir-
culatory system begins to form. This can
be seen in the fetus that is only a few
days old, when it is little more than a
small cluster of cells. This very primitive
circulatory system begins immediately to
carry nutrients to the cluster and to
deliver metabolic waste back to the
mother so it can be discharged. The
waste, for example, goes back to the pla-
centa, which is partial to the fetus
although it is connected to the fetus by
the long umbilical cord villi that extend
out from the placenta into the blood rich
decidua and the chemistry is such that a
discharge and interchange takes place.
On the inward bound voyage vitamins,
minerals, proteins in assimilable state,
carbohydrates, fats, oxygens, and other
nutrients cross the barrier into the fetus.
In the outward bound trip the arteries of
the fetus waste products from its own
metabolism to the villi from which they
cross the barrier and are picked up and
carried away by the venous system of the
mother to be discharged by urination,
defecation, and respiration.
OTHER TOXICANTS
Unfortunately the fetus also passes
along many drugs, at least one of which,
thalidomide, an otherwise perfect seda-
tive, has terrifyingly harmful effects on
the fetus, as we learned from the sad ex-
periences of the early 1960s. The pla-
centa also offers no barrier to some gas
products which are of no benefit to the
baby. This is why smoking by a pregnant
woman carries with it certain hazards
that we do not yet understand. We know
this because research has shown that
UMBILICAL CORD
containing the
arterio-venous lifeline
between mother
and fetus
DECIDUA— an organ
^V^/ of the mother
VILLOUS-DECIDUA
INTERFACE where
FAS is decided
PLACENTA— an organ
of the fetus
FETAL BLOOD
VESSELS
DECIDUA of the,
uterine lining
A Single
Villus
The fetus when it Is about to become a baby. Note that the fetal blood vessels do not make con-
tact with the mother's circulatory system. Thus all exchange must transpire throuQh the decidual
and villous cell walls. They determine what shall and what shall not pass. Ethyl alcohol, unfortu-
nately, Is allowed to pass.
-170-
shortly after a pregnant woman inhales
the smoke of a cigarette, methemoglobin
can be identified in fetal blood. No one is
sure what damage this abnormal hemo-
globin can do, but the informed suppo-
sitions leave no room for comfort. The
only thing that is certain at the present
state of our knowledge is that this is not
pure hemoglobin circulating in the fetal
vessels, but is an abnormal substance.
The same can be said about the preg-
nant woman drinking caffeine-bearing
coffee. This alkaloid also passes the pla-
cental barrier interchange. Again, the
state of our knowledge does not provide
evidence that for the pregnant woman to
drink a modest amount of coffee is harm-
ful. The knowledge, however, does raise
the question of whether the fetus can
withstand the impact of the same serum
concentration of the caffeine as does the
fully developed human body. We have a
long way to go before we have certain
knowledge of what drugs and stimu-
lants the pregnant woman can safely
consume.
We don't know how to account for
the way that alcohol selectively dis-
figures the infant anatomically. That too
must be left to further research.
The organs of even a young child are
composed of cells that are mature. This,
to us, means that the cellular systems are
highly developed and have practiced
patterns of metabolic behavior and
chemical interchange. The developing
cells of the fetus are not old enough to
have the protection of such experience.
We know now the mechanisms by which
some of these permanent changes take
place. Considering these facts, the
wonder is that drunken babies born of
drunken mothers are not complete idiots.
The ability of the delicate tissues to with-
stand the day-in and day-out bath of a
strong dehydrating agent is a tribute to
nature. As we have seen, the placenta, a
wonderfully organized temporary organ,
exercises little or no filtering effect to
protect the fetus. Since the cellular struc-
ture of the infant is immature and
fragile, it is not too much to say that a
drunken mother carries in her swollen
uterus a drunken baby. After she has
become drunk she usually has a hang-
over. That will pass away in a few
hours. For the fetus, the hangover may
last a lifetime. ©
El
This is a teaching aid article. Price
and delivery dates are available on re-
quest. For institutions and anti-
alcohol programs, bulk prices will be
available at a discount. Ordering
information will be ready by January
I, for delivery after February 1.
NUTRITION TODAY September/October, 1980 15
J)
easions
Vdues
H-IZ
DECISIONS AND VALUES
9-12
Decision-making skills need to be developed at an early age
and continue being developed throughout life. The goal in
teaching decision-making skills is to help students do the
following:
1. Understand their role in making decisions.
2. Recognize other people who can help them make decisions.
3. Realize the risks involved in decision-making.
The process of making decisions involves the following
steps (It Starts With People, p. 24) :
1. Defining the problem.
2. Exploring possible alternative ways of resolving
the problem.
3. Looking at the consequences of the choices.
4. Choosing the alternative.
The purpose of values clarification is to help young people
build their own value system. Louis Rath, who formulated the
values clarification approach, broke the process of valuing
into three sub-processes (Simon, P. 19) .
1. Prizing: cherishing to the point of being willing
to publicly affirm a belief.
2. Choosing: looking at the various alternatives, considering the
consequences, and choosing freely.
3. Acting: consistently and repetitiously acting on
-171-
Key Concept: Awareness of how values can affect the decision-
making process.
VALUES AND DECISIONS
Some decisions are difficult to make because they are
in conflict with our values. The following activity will help
students recognize why they may have had trouble making decisions
in the past and how identifying values before making a decision
can be of some help in the decision-making process.
ACTIVITY:
Hold a discussion about how values affect decisions.
Encourage students to think of several times that decisions have
been hard to make because of conflicts with values. Hand out
a copy of "How Do Values Affect Your Decisions?" and have the
students complete the questions based on personal experience.
USED WITH PERMISSION: "How Do Values Affect Your Decisions?",
ME: The New Model, High School Teachers Manual (Lakewood City
Public School System: 1470 Warren Road, Lakewood, OH, 1973), p. 150.
-172-
HOW DO YOUR VALUES
AFFECT YOUR DECISIONS?
When you cannot make a decision, probably there is a
conflict of wants or of values. Clarifying your values will
help you make your decision.
Here are questions to ask yourself so you can clarify
the values that affect your decision.
1. Do you have any decisions to make now?
2. What alternatives are open to you, what might their
consequences be, and which one(s) do you think will
best get you what you want? Use books, magazines, the
library and other people's experiences to check this out.
3. What are some of the things that are important to you in
this decision, or what are your values here? (Use
valuing process here if you need to) .
4. Do any of the values you hold seem to be keeping you
from making this decision.
5. List all the values involved in this decision and rank
order them, that is, number them in order of importance,
with #1 the most important, etc.
6. Are any of your values holding up your decision?
7. If so, think about it for a while and come back to it later,
8. How can you make a decision that will clearly represent
your values?
9. If you still cannot make a decision, repeat the process
above .
10. What is your final decision?
11. How did clarifying your values affect your decision?
-173-
Key Concept: Awareness of the responsibility of one's own actions
OWNING RESPONSIBILITY
A breakdown occurs in communication when individuals do
not take responsibility for their own actions. The following
activity explores this idea.
ACTIVITY:
Hand out a copy of "Responsibility - Taking Ownership
of One's Feelings and Actions". Role Play the story.
Break the class into small groups and have students
share similar situations that they have been in; how
they handled the situation; and if they could have
handled it differently.
USED WITH PERMISSION: ME: The New Model High School Teachers
Manual (Lakewood City Public School System: 1470 Warren Road,
Lakewood, Ohio, 1973) , pp. 145-146.
-174-
RESPONSIBILITY -
TAKING OWNERSHIP OF ONE'S
FEELINGS AND ACTIONS
As used by people today, the word "responsibility" has
several meanings. One is illustrated in this dialogue. An
employer asked a prospective employee if he was a good worker.
The man answered, "Yes, sir. Why, on my last job, every time
something bad happened, they said I was responsible!" Another
meaning is illustrated in these statements: A responsible person
never drives without his driver's license. Always turn out the
light when you are the last person to leave a room.
However, the word "responsibility" as used in this activity
has a quite different meaning. It means taking ov/nership for
one's own feelings and actions. When you exclaim, "You make
me so mad!" you are failing to acknowledge that you chose to
be angry. By refusing to accept ownership for your feeling,
you contribute to your sense of helplessness.
Instead of being made angry, you have made yourself angry.
To a greater extent than is generally recognized, a person has
the freedom to select the feeling and the action with which he
responds to another's behavior. Suppose someone tries to provoke
you into a fight by insulting you in front of others. You can
choose to get angry, you can make fun of the insult, or you can
ignore both the person and the insult.
What does this discussion about responsibility (response-
ability) have to do with one's behavior? One who takes owner-
ship of his actions and feelings is in a position to not only
change or control his feelings, but to change the situation
as well. This person is no longer helpless or acted upon.
His behavior is no longer determined by others. He becomes
increasingly self-guided, selecting the responses that will
be of the most benefit to both himself and others.
-175-
I
H
I
Here is a fictional example of a typical household argument:
Teenager: Can I have the car tonight, Mom?
Mother: Where are you going?
Teenager: Oh, wow! Do we'have to go through that third-degree
stuff every time I ask for the car? You're always
making me feel like a kid. (Putting his feelings onto
her.)
Parent: You don't have to antagonize me. I merely asked
because I like to know where you are and, after all,
it's my car. (She chooses to feel antagonized.)
Teenager: You and your precious car tee me off. I'll get a ride
with someone else. (He chooses to be teed off.)
The above argument is a typical stalemate. But what if the
participants take ownership of their feelings, which is a change in
their responses? The dialogue might go something like this:
Teem ger: Can I have the car tonight, Mom?
Parent: Where are you going?
Teenager: I'll gladly tell you, but I want you to know I feel you
don't trust me when you ask that all the time. (By
stating his feeling responsibly, he makes it impossi-
ble for her to say: "You don't have to antagonize
me. )
Parent: It's not that I don't trust you. I ask because I care
about you and whereyougo. And, by the way, it is my
car.
Teenager: That's another thing. I feel you care more about what
happens to the car than about me. I'm only going to
the library, anyhow.
Parent: I didn't know you felt that way, but you're wrong. Of
course I'd be inconvenienced if anything happened
to the car, but I'd be devastated if anything happen-
ed to you.
Teenager: Mom, I appreciate your concern, but I'm a good
driver.
Parent: I know you are, but I worry anyhow. I guess knowing
where you are helps me worry a little less.
Teenager: I see that, I guess. Well, can I have it?
Parent: Yes, if you're going to the library. What time will you
be home?
WATCH OUT! HERE GOES ROUND 2 IP" YOU'RE NOT
CAREFUL!
Teenager: (Decides to play it straight) It closes at 9:30, but I'd
like to stop off at Frank's, so I probably won't be back
before 11.
Parent: All right, but try to stick to that. I'll be frantic if it's
midnight and no you.
Teenager: I understand that, Mom, and thanks. I'll try my best
to get in by 11.
Key Concept: Clarification of feelings toward making choices.
Clarification of factors that affect what
decisions are made.
CHOICES
This activity could help students understand the decisions
they make by exploring the motivation behind their actions.
ACTIVITY:
Have the class stand in a circle and look around the room at
their classmates. Have them pick out one person they would like
to know better. At a signal from you, their task will be to go
over to the person of their choice and nonverbally show that
person how they feel. Often no one will move initially. If this
occurs you may wait, or you might encourage them further by saying,
"you mean no one here wants to know anyone better." This may be
met with a display of discomfort or laughter, and at this point
it is best to investigate what the students were feeling by
discussing their objections to moving. Even if no one in the
class responds to the initial experiment, reactions are taking
place within the person. Some members may be confused about who
they would choose or how they would show their feelings and there-
fore might not be able to make a decision. They may have thought
it over and decided to do nothing. Some people might have hoped
that someone would make the decision to come over to them,
relieving them of having to initiate the action.
Questions may be raised for classes that will help students
tie in their experiences to making choices. The following is
one way that this can be explored:
1. What were your feelings: when you were told what the
initial task would be; while you were moving or antici-
pating someone else's move; after the task was completed?
2. How did you decide: a) who you would like to know better;
b) how you would show that person how you feel; c) whether
or not you would act on your feeling?
3. Outside life experiences in the classroom: (recommended
for small groups)
*Under what other circumstances have you experiences
similar feelings t o those you felt here today?
*What decisions did you make under those circumstances?
*What correlations can you make that will help you
understand the patterns of your choices?
*What other alternatives do you believe are open to you?
USED WITH PERMISSION: Teper-Singer , Lynn; "Choices", Health
Education, Nov/Dec, 19 75, Vol. 6, #6, p. 36.
-177-
Key Concept: Clarification of own beliefs of what is responsible/
irresponsible drinking behavior.
RESPONSIBLE OR IRRESPONSIBLE
The following activity will give students an opportunity
to clarify their own beliefs about what type of drinking is
considered responsible.
ACTIVITY:
1. In conjunction with the activities on responsible vs.
irresponsible drinking behavior given in the education
section, do the following. Hand out copies of the
hypothetical drinking situations on the following
pages. Tell the students to decide what situations are
examples of responsible drinking behavior and why they
think so. Have them publicly affirm their beliefs by
sharing them with the rest of the class.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: "Hypothetical Drinking Situations" Montana
Alcohol & Drug Division, State of Montana Teachers Guide for
Alcohol Education: Grades 7-12, (Helena, Mt . , High School,
1979) , pp. 25-30.
-178-
Read the following situations. Check in the appropriate space
whether you think the decision about drinking described in the
situation is responsible or irresponsible. Then explain
briefly why you answered as you did.
THE SLUMBER PARTY
1.
Ann is spending the night at Cathy's house. Cathy is 17,
and her parents are away for the week-end. Ann notices
the well-stocked liquor bar and suggested that they make
themselves a drink.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why:
2. Cathy refused, knowing that her parents would not approve,
Responsible Irresponsible
Why?
Ann begins to tease Cathy about being a coward and even
offers to take the blame if they are caught.
Responsible
Irresponsible
4. Cathy pours a drink for Ann but not for herself.
Responsible Irresponsible
Why?
-179-
Read the following situations. Check in the appropriate space
Whether you think the decision about drinking described in the
situation is responsible or irresponsible. Then explain
briefly why you answered, as you did.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOOTBALL GAME
Robert, who is 16, is watching a football game on TV with
his father. During a commercial his father goes to the
kitchen for a beer and asks Robert if he'd like one, too.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why:
2. Robert says yes and drinks the beer.
Responsible Irresponsible
Why?
3. Robert's best friend, Bill, 15, comes in during half-time.
Robert's father offers Bill a beer which Bill accepts.
Father
Why?
Responsible
Irresponsible
Bill
Why';
Responsible
Irresponsible
-180-
Read the following situations. Check in the appropriate space
whether you think the decision about drinking described in the
situation is responsible or irresponsible. Then explain
briefly why you answered as you did.
THE OLDER BROTHER
Mark, who is 16, asks his older brother, Rick, who is 22,
to buy a case of beer for him and his friends.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why?
Rick agrees to buy the beer on the condition that Mark
doesn't drive after drinking.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why?
Mark promises not to drive,
Responsible
Why?
Rick buys a beer.
Responsible
Why?
Irresponsible
Irresponsible
Mark drives home that night from his buddy's house after
drinking 3 beers, disregarding his promise.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why:
-181-
IKKESfbNSlBLE
Read the following situations. Check in the appropriate space
whether you think the decision about drinking described in the
situation is responsible or irresponsible. Then explain
briefly why you answered as you did.
AN EVENING WITH THE JOHNSONS
1. It is Friday evening and Mr. and Mrs. Johnson relax by drinking
a cocktail at home before dinner.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why:
Larry, who is sixteen years old, enters the living room and
asks his father for a sip of his cocktail. His father hands
him the glass and Larry takes a drink.
Larry
Why?
Father
Why?
Responsible
Responsible
Irresponsible
Irresponsible
4.
Larry, his father, mother and 17 year-old sister, Jenny, begin
eating dinner. During the meal both Larry and Jenny drink
two glasses of wine.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why:
After dinner Mr. and Mrs. Johnson go next door to their
neighbor's for a beer.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why":
Mrs. Johnson continues to drink one beer after another until
she becomes loud and begins shouting at Mr. Johnson. She leaves
the neighbor's house abruptly, staggers home and falls asleep
in the bedroom with all her clothes on.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why:
-182-
Read the following situations. Check the appropriate space whether
you think the decision about drinking described in the situation
is responsible or irresponsible. Then explain briefly why you
answered as you did.
THE WEDDING RECEPTION
Eric, 20 years old, invites Jean who is 18 to his sister's
v/edding. The groom's father proposed a toast to the happy
couple with a glass of champagne.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why?
Eric's 15 year-old sister, Debbie, is poured a glass of
champagne, and she drinks it.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why:
For the wedding reception there are two kinds of punch -
one with liquor and one without, but they both look the same,
Responsible Irresponsible
Why?
Aunt Dorothy does not drink alcoholic beverages. Eric, as
a joke, serves her a cup of the punch that contains alcohol,
and Aunt Dorothy drinks it.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why'
Miss Coleman who sang during the wedding ceremony is getting
"high" on the punch that contains alcohol.
Responsible
Irresponsible
Why?
•183-
THE WEDDING RECEPTION (Continued)
6. Paul Benson, the best man, has had more cups of the punch con-
taining alcohol than he can count. He is getting loud with
his funny jokes and spilling cake crumbs on the carpet. He
asks Debbie to bring him another cup of punch.
Responsible Irresponsible
Why?
7. Debbie gets him another cup of punch.
Responsible Irresponsible
Why?
8. Eric appears sober, although Jean knows that he's had four
cups of the punch containing alcohol within the past hour
and one-half. He had to drive her home. He asks her to
pour him one more cup "for the road."
Responsible Irresponsible
Why?
THE KEGGER
1. Rick and Heather, both 18, decide to go to the Friday evening kegger,
Responsible Irresponsible
Why?
2. Rick drinks beer, while Heather opts for a soft drink.
Rick Responsible Irresponsible
Heather Responsible _____ Irresponsible
Why?
Why?
3. Feeling that Rick has had a little too much, Heather offers
to drive him home.
Responsible Irresponsible
Why?
4. Not wanting anyone else to drive his car, Rick refuses.
Responsible Irresponsible _____
Why?
•184-
Key Concept: Clarification of values and improvement of
decision-making skills through role playing.
DRINKING SITUATIONS
Role playing gives students an opportunity to practice
values clarification and decision-making skills.
ACTIVITY:
1. Divide the class into small groups. Hand out a copy
of "Role Profiles" to each group. As a group, have
them select one role play and present it to the class.
Those watching should look for alternative ways of
handling the situation. Those presenting the role
play should be able to identify their values which
encouraged them to make the decisions that they did.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: "Role Profiles", Montana Alcohol & Drug Division,
State of Montana Teachers Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades 7-12,
(Helena, Mt. , High School, 1979), pp. 33-35.
-185-
ROLE PROFILES
Non- or Social Drinker - Louis
You are 15 years old and sometimes go out with your three best
friends, Sam, John and Bob when they've had an older brother
buy you all some beer. Usually someone's parents are out and
you go over to his house and drink. Your friends get pretty
high and sometimes drunk. You try to drink as little as
possible but they keep pressing you to drink more. If your
parents catch you, you'll be grounded for weeks, and anyway
you don't really like alcohol. But these are your closest friends
You're now at a house drinking, but you've so far only had
half a beer. How will you respond to your friends' efforts
to get you to drink more?
Friends - 3 (Sam, John, Bob)
You and your three other friends form a close group and you all
like to go drinking sometimes when you can get some beer and
a vacant house. But Louis tried to drink as little as possible
and acts chicken whenever the rest of you drink (though he's
a great kid in every other way) . It spoils your fun to have
one of you sober.
You're now at a house drinking and he's already drinking hardly
at all. What will you say to him to get him to drink with you
and have some fun and not spoil it for you?
******
Social Drinker - Marsha
You've been going with George whom you really like. He drinks
(which is OK) but he objects to your drinking at parties. He
feels "nice" girls don't drink and he and you keep getting
into fights over it. You like to relax with a beer or two at
parties .
You're at a party now and he's starting to complain about
your drinking. How will you respond?
George
You don't like the idea of girls' drinking because it presents
a lousy image. Your girl, Marsha, whom you really like in
all other respects, is on her second beer already at this
party. She doesn't usually have more than two or three and
usually stays sober. Still, you think it looks cheap. You
want her to stop. What will you say?
******
-186-
Non- or Social Drinker - Fred
You are the star linebacker on your high school football team
and after every game there's a party at someone's house with
a lot of drinking. You don't like the taste of alcohol and you
get a lot of razzing from the guys and girls at the parties
and sometimes on the field for not drinking. You're sensitive
about it and it affects your playing ability because you get
self-conconscious and feel you have to be twice as good as
anyone else to make up for not drinking.
You're now at the party and being pressured to drink by your
teammates and some of the girls. How will you respond?
You've been drinking nothing but Coke and 7-Up.
Friends - 6
You are at a party with Fred after a Saturday football game.
As usual, he's drinking 7-Up and Coke. He sure is weird
about alcohol, and you're going to tease and razz him until
he drinks like the rest of you. What will you say to him?
******
Non - or Social Drinker - Ann
You have gone to the movies on this Saturday afternoon with three
friends, Carol, Joyce and Cheryl. On the way home you run into
one of their older brothers who has a case of beer in his car.
He gives his younger sister (your friend) a six pack and tells
you all to "have a blast - it's about time you found out what
life's all about." Your friends think this is a great chance,
and you all go off to the park behind the bushes to drink.
You don't want to drink, however, but your friends are all
starting to open the beer. What do you do now?
Friends - 3 (Joyce, Cheryl, Carol)
You have gone to the movies on this Saturday afternoon with
three friends. On the way home you run into one of their older
brothers who has a case of beer in his car. He gives his
younger sister (your friend) a six pack and tells you all to
"have a blast - it's about time you found out what life's all
about". You think this is a great idea, but Ann doesn't seem
to. In fact, now you're all in the park opening the cans and
she hasn't picked up one. You don't want her to miss the fun
or spoil it for the rest of you. How will you try to
persuade her to drink?
******
-187-
Tim
You are 16 years old and at a party with 2 5 friends. You've
been going with Carey, your present date, for 5 months. She
has a habit of drinking too much at parties and then going
around flirting with other guys. She's already had two beers
and has just opened a third. What, if anything, do you do?
(You've had two beers, too, but you can hold your liquor) .
Excessive Drinker - Carey
You are 16 years old and at a party with 25 friends. You have
been dating Tim for about 5 months. You like to get "high"
at these parties because you feel less shy with other people
and it just makes you happy - and you don't mind making your
boyfriend a little jealous by flirting with another guy or two.
You're on your third beer now.
******
Ami
You are 16 years old and at a party with 14 friends. You've
been dating Terry for 3 months, and he's never had more than
two drinks. But tonight he's already on his fourth and starting
to get loud and pushy. What, if anything, do you do?
Excessive Drinker - Terry
You are 17 years old and at a party with 14 friends. You've
been dating Ami for 3 months. Tonight you feel especially
good and you're on your fourth beer. Usually you have only
two and hardly ever get drunk. You're sure you can hold your
liquor.
******
Linda
You are having dinner in a swank restaurant with Bob, your
fiance. He had two cocktails before the meal and now he's
on his second glass of wine. Neither of you have had anything
to eat since breakfast, so he's getting very loud and
attracting some attention from the waiters and other patrons.
He likes to get "high" sometimes at parties, but this is the
first time it's happened with you in a restaurant. What will
you say?
Excessive Drinker - Bob
You are having dinner in a swank restaurant with Linda, your
fiancee. You've had two cocktails and have been drinking from
a bottle of wine. Since you had little to eat all day, you
feel rosy and cheerful from the alcohol and you figure a few
more glasses of wine will make you feel really great. You
don't care what people think; you're paying a fortune for this meal
******
-188-
Key Concept: Clarification of values about alcohol use by-
looking at history.
TAKING A STAND
ACTIVITIES:
1. Have the students read the following article called
"History of Alcohol Use". Break the class into three
groups to hold a debate on alcohol use and abuse.
Following are the three areas of debate:
For Prohibition
For Moderation
For NO Restrictions - Personal Freedom Concept
2. Have each group research their topics thoroughly. Some
possible areas to research include the following:
- State and Federal Laws: Should they be changed?
- Taxes on Alcohol and their effects on economics.
- World statistics on which countries have the
highest percentage of alcoholics.
Possible resources for students to use include the
following:
- Justice Department
- Library
- Local Distilleries
PUBLIC DOMAIN: "History", Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division,
State of Montana Teacher's Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades 7-12,
(Helena, Mt. , 1979), pp. 17-22.
-189-
IV. HISTORY
A. THE BEGINNING
There are many stories about how alcohol was first dis-
covered by man. No one really knows when the discovery
was actually made. We do know, however, that alcohol existed
on earth long before people were here to decide whether to
use it or not. Alcohol can form naturally. All it takes
is sugar, water, and yeast. These ingredients were
available on earth over two hundred million years ago.
The use of alcoholic beverages by humans has been recorded
from as early as the Neolithic period, which began at least
ten thousand years ago. Scientists speculate that someone
left an unused portion of wild berry juice or mash in an
uncovered bowl and went hunting. Meanwhile, yeast fell
from the air into the juice and acted on the natural sugar
to form alcohol. The berry juice fermented into wine.
When the hunters returned, and tasted this bowl of juice-
turned-wine, they experienced the first intake of alcohol
in the history of the human race.
The point of this story is simply that, as far as we can
determine, alcohol has been with us for a long, long time.
Fermentation is a simple and entirely natural process
and was probably the earliest known method of producing alcohol
B. EARLY CIVILIZATION
As civilization developed so did the making of various forms
of alcoholic beverages. The making of the beverage alcohol
held great significance in these early societies.
Fermented beverage, whether grape wine, palm wine, or one
derived from whatever the land might furnish (cereals,
grains, fruits, or flowers) was put to many uses, not the
least of which was as a dietary adjuvant. In the struggle
for survival, men learned from experience that these
beverages had more than nutritional value. They made the
water more potable, as well as safe; they were effective
medicines; and they could be relied upon to ensure the
tranquility essential to a state of well-being. The more
intellectual and more cultural people used fermented dietary
beverages with temperance and moderation, permitting
themselves more liberal digressions only as prescribed by
tradition and religious beliefs.
-190-
In the primitive polytheistic religions of early civiliza-
tions, wine played an important role — its use as well as
its abuse being rigidly defined. Wine had universal
acceptance in libations, some civilizations requiring
natural wine, others a mixture with blood, while still
others permitted the addition of spices and aromatic
substances. In fact, so strong was the symbolism of wine
that it retains its aura of romance and unfathomable
mysticism to this day.
Aside from its role in religion, wine — or any other fermented
beverage — was an element of significance on all festive
occasions: at banquets and at birth, marriage, and death
celebrations. On these occasions, too, its use was
carefully prescribed. In the symposium, the consumption
of wine was defined by a tradition which required strict
adherence. On certain occasions, especially in the religious
festivals and often in celebration of a military victory,
wine was used to the point of excess.
Another important use of fermented beverages was in medicine —
mainly for its intrinsic values as a diuretic, a tonic, or
as a sedative, and often as an agent to carry other medicinal
substances. It was the only reliable medicinal menstruum
available to the ancients, and in this guise it has persisted
to this day, at times with stealth, unfortunately. Wine
was also used to seal agreements and as a form of currency
for paying for goods and services.
Primitive man, there can be no doubt, drank hard, but the
time, the place, and the manner of his drinking seem always
to have been rigidly determined by custom. In almost every
instance individuals did not drink alone.
The casual use of alcohol, like the individual inebriate,
is a product of civilization. Drinking places, or taverns,
began to appear as early as the Mesopotamian civilization.
As this casual drinking increased, so did the concern about
drinking behavior. Records indicate that Mesopotamia
had regulations for the operation of the taverns. There
were also formalized ways of dealing with intoxication.
Various forms of control were tried in these early civiliza-
tions when it became evident that some people would drink
to excess outside of the accepted times and places. Most
controls, however, still fell into the realm of moral or
social sanctions. Temperance was the main theme. At
this point in history, it should be noted that temperance
meant moderation, rather than abstinence. China recognized
very early that to prohibit the use of alcohol or to secure
total abstinence from the use of it was, "...beyond the
power of even sages."
-191-
C. CHANGING PATTERNS
As civilization became larger and more complex, alcohol
consumption patterns began to change. One of these changes
was more freedom from the rigors of work. Rome was an
advanced civilization which provided an environment of
relative leisure, orgy, and extravagance. Wine was still
used in festivals, religious rites, and for medicinal
purposes, but excessive use and use for pure personal
satisfaction became the rule rather than the exception.
Another change occurred as a result of advanced technology.
As scientists and medical researchers explored new ways to
cure human ills, it was only inevitable that new ways would
be found to "improve" wine. Although distillation was
probably discovered in Western Europe by this method around
A.D. 800, it may have existed centuries earlier among
Arabs and Chinese. It was around the end of the thirteenth
century that the liquor resulting from distillation really
gained a new level of importance. Arnaldus de Villanova,
a professor of medicine at the University of Montpellier
refined the process of distillation and proclaimed his
discovery (aqua vitae) as the savior of mankind. "It was
the philosopher's stone, the universal panacea, the key
to everlasting life."
It became a matter of time before other forms of hard liquor
would be discovered. As man learned more about the world
around him, he also learned more about making alcohol.
Distillation brought in many delectable "liqueurs" which
were flavored by the fermented fruit juices from which
they were obtained. At the monasteries, many such liqueurs
were developed with intricate combinations of health-giving
herbs, in a further effort to obtain desired medicinal effect.
D. COLONIAL AMERICA
The history of the use of distilled liquor in the United
States begins at the very first colonization of the con-
tinent of North America. Most authorities agree that
none of the Indians north of Mexico knew distilled alcoholic
drinks prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 16th and
17th century. The Puritans who settled the Massachusetts
Bay Colony brought with them attitudes and beliefs from
the old country and did not prohibit drinking but punished
severely, with 'dunking' or flogging, citizens who were
found to be inebriated, particularly on the Sabbath.
Early explorers and traders commonly offered alcohol to
Indians and Eskimos as a sign of friendship. However, as
competition for furs increased, the more unscrupulous
traders found that the desire for alcohol led some Indians
to give up their most valuable possessions in exchange for drinks.
-192-
By 1800, alcoholic beverages had become a basic part of the
economy of the United States. In 1794, the individuals who
owned the distilleries led a revolt in western Pennsylvania
(known as the Whiskey Rebellion) when the government,
during the second administration of George Washington,
attempted to place a federal excise tax on whiskey produced
for sale.
E.
Another important aspect of alcohol pro-
duction in the United States was its link
with the slave trade. Before the Revolu-
tion, New England merchants bought sugar
from the French sugar-producing islands
in the West Indies. They converted the
sugar to rum by distillation and used the
rum to trade for slaves on the African
coast. The slaves were then imported
to the United States at a good profit. This became New
England's largest and most profitable industry. This
lucrative 'triangular trade' was ended when the British
imposed the Sugar Act, which forced the colonial merchants
to trade at less profit with the British West Indies sugar growers,
TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT
Along with the acceptance of alcoholic beverages as a house-
hold item and a commodity in the national economy came a
growing suspicion that alcohol, particularly in the stronger
distilled forms, rum and whiskey, was involved in some
social, health, and moral problems. As had occurred in
earlier civilizations, temperance groups were formed to
convince people to be moderate in their use of alcohol.
The early groups were generally religiously affiliated and
were dedicated to the thesis that any abuse of the body
was sinful. They did not try to eliminate the use of
alcohol, only the excessive use of this substance.
In the 18th and 19th century,
advocated for all Indians, a
total abstention from alcohol
began to require pledges aski
use of all alcoholic beverage
This change led to a problem
religious implications of ale
have been divided ever since,
use of alcohol is wrong; othe
beverages are from the fruits
basically good and that it wa
alcohol which was evil.
several Indian leaders
return to the old ways, including
Other temperance groups
ng people to refrain from the
s, including wine and beer,
of the interpretation of the
ohol over which some groups
Some sects taught that any
rs taught that alcoholic
of nature and therefore
s the abuse, not the use, of
-193-
One possible outcome of this movement came in 1832, when
Congress passed the first general statutory prohibition on
liquor traffic based on the constitutional authority of
Congress to regulate commerce with the Indian tribes.
The law, expanded over the years, covered sale, gift, trans-
portation, and possession of liquor on reservations or some-
times adjoining Indian land, without regard to state boundaries.
Between 1874 and 1920 the country experienced a tremendous
growth in the temperance (by now, the prohibition) movement.
It was during this period that the physiological effects of
alcohol were being questioned. Many kinds of experiments
were conducted throughout the civilized world to discover
the properties of alcohol. These findings gave further
impetus to the temperance or prohibition movement whose
original emphasis had been essentially religious. A
possible outcome of this movement came between 1882 and 1902,
when all the states of the Union passed statutes which
required education about alcohol and its effects to be
taught in the schools.
PROHIBITION
The culmination of the temperance movement was the drive
toward legal prohibition. In 1874, the Women's Christian
Temperance Union was founded in Cleveland, Ohio, and under
the leadership of Mary H. Hut and Frances L. Willard,
worked for many years for complete prohibition. Between
1874 and 1919, 33 states adopted prohibition of some
kind. On January 16, 1920, the 18th Amendment to the
Constitution was declared law, and 177,000 saloons, 1,247
breweries, and 507 distilleries in the United States were closed.
To a very considerable extent the Eighteenth
Amendment was a wartime legacy. It was
submitted early in the war when the expan-
sion of national powers was at its peak. It
was regarded by many who voted for it as a
war measure necessary for the saving of
food and manpower. It was ratified hastily
by the legislatures of three-fourths of the
states under the pressure of wartime psychology, which tended
to identify prohibition and patriotism, and without opportunity
in any instance for a popular referendum on the subject.
Furthermore, the amendment, while forbidding the manufacture,
sale, and transportation of intoxicating beverages, conspicuously
failed to brand their purchase or use as illegal. Full rati-
fication was achieved by January, 1919, but as a concession
to the liquor interest, the amendment delayed the actual
inauguration of prohibition for one year. Congress and
the several states were given concurrent responsibility
for enforcement, by the Volstead Act of 1919. The states
particularly in the "wetter" areas left to the national
government the principal task of enforcement.
-194-
By the time Harding became President, prohibition had been
the law of the land for over a year, and the difficulties it
entailed were painfully apparent. People who wished to
drink had no notion of being deprived of their liquor.
It became the smart thing to drink, and many who had been
temperate in their habits before were now moved to imbibe
freely as a protest against the legal invasion of their
'personal liberty.1 Statistics as to the effect of
prohibition on liquor consumption and drunkenness were
manufactured freely by both wets and drys. These statistics
were almost entirely worthless, however, since they had
little impact on either sides' thinking. All that is certain
is that the demand for liquor still existed and private
enterprise, although in this instance working outside the
law, showed great efficiency in meeting the consumer's
demand. The sources of supply included liquor manufactured
for medicinal purposes, importations brought in by rumrunners,
revitalized near beer, more or less renovated industrial
alcohol, unfermented grape juice that had somehow gathered
potency, and the produce of innumerable stills and breweries.
Bootleggers, already experienced in their business thanks
to prohibition laws in some twenty-six states, got the
liquor around. Inevitably the enormous profits from this
illicit trade led to fierce competition, in which the
richer and more ruthless operators triumphed. Bootlegging
became big business, and the survival of the fittest left
a few successful entrepreneurs, surrounded by their private
armies in complete control.
Even before the Eighteenth amendment went into effect,
antiprohibition forces began to form. By the late 1920 's
the Association Against the Prohibition Amendment, the
Moderation League, and other antiprohibition societies
appeared. State referendums and Literary Digest polls
revealed that these opposition organizations were at least
reflecting, if not actually creating, a steadily growing
sentiment for repeal of the 18th Amendment.
As President, Hoover had to face up to the pledges he
had made during the 192 8 campaign. One of them, stated
in his acceptance speech, had called for a 'searching
investigation' of the prohibition situation, both as a
'fact and cause.' The eleven-member Commission on Law
Enforcement and Observance, which he appointed late in
May, 1929, left few aspects of the subject unstudied. In
its final report, submitted January 20, 1931, the Commission
branded prohibition enforcement as a failure , noted the
increase in corruption that had accompanied it, deplored
its undermining of lav/ enforcement generally, and regarded
with alarm its demoralizing effect on the federal judicial
system. Two commissioners favored immediate repeal, and
seven favored revision with the ultimate goal of national
and state controls. The report, whatever its authors meant
to recommend, revealed fully the existing discontent with
prohibition and the need for decisive action.
-195-
Just as the Eighteenth Amendment was the child of the First
World War, so its repeal was the child of the Great Depression.
In prosperous times the voters could tolerate the inefficiency
of prohibition, make jokes about it, and let it ride. But
with the advent of depression its every fault was magnified,
and the best jokes turned stale. Hoover did what he could
to enforce prohibition. He reorganized and enlarged the
Prohibition Bureau, transferred it to the Department of
Justice, and placed its personnel under civil service. But
federal enforcement without state and local support was
still a failure. In those localities, mostly rural,
where public sentiment favored the law and supported
enforcement, it was enforced; elsewhere it was the same
old false pretense as under Harding and Coolidge. Event-
ually Hoover, who hated the saloon and deplored intemperance
as much as anyone, made up his mind that the Eighteenth
Amendment would have to go.
Both political parties took anti-prohibi-
tion stands in the 19 32 presidential
election campaign. Roosevelt spoke out
strongly against it. Hoover's reluctance
in making his decision may have cost him
dearly. Roosevelt swept into office in a
landslide. The National Prohibition party polled only a few
thousand votes. In February, 1933, shortly after the
Democrats took control of Congress, a resolution proposing
repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment was passed. By December 5
of the same year, 36 states had ratified the Twenty-First
Amendment and Prohibition was ended.
G. ALCOHOL USE IN THE UNITED STATES TODAY
After prohibition it became necessary for the states to set
up administrative machinery to control the manufacture,
sale, and distribution of alcoholic beverages. Twenty-nine
states have developed a process for open licensing. This
means that the state issues licenses to private firms who
sell alcoholic beverages. Seventeen states, including
Washington, are classified as monopoly systems because they
buy and sell liquor through their own stores.
Another form of control being used by all states is taxation.
The original intent was to make liquor expensive enough to
keep consumption down. There seems to be some indication
that taxation has become such a lucrative source of govern-
ment revenue that consumption is actually being encouraged
so that revenue will not decline.
Our heritage of customs and traditions from civilizations
past has made it difficult for governmental agencies to
control alcohol use regardless of the methods used. Today,
because alcohol is our most socially acceptable drug,
people tend to forget that it is also our most widely abused
drug, ranking far ahead of marijuana as one of this country's
major social problems.
-196-
■™-*°"i^,","-m,""""-~™~™""iT,iTr* i i i ii T*T~TriniirwTinri
It has been estimated that there are approximately ten
million alcoholics in this country. There are numerous
costs associated with alcoholism and problem drinking in
this country. Some examples are:
- 25 billion dollars spent for medical expenses, accidents,
lost working days, wrecked lives and broken families
- 50 per cent of the fatalities in auto accidents are
alcohol related
- 25 per cent of the falls, burns, and other accidents
that occur in the home and in hunting, boating, swimming,
private flying, and skiing accidents are caused by use
of alcohol.
-197-
mHMMHMHHU&.V'.
SELF-CONCEPT
9-12
A main reason for drinking is the feelings of well-being
one gets from alcohol. Development of a positive self-esteem
without the use of alcohol is crucial in the prevention of
alcohol abuse. The process of developing students' self-
esteem include activities which do the following (It Starts
With People, p. 24) :
1. Help students recognize and accept feelings.
2. Help individuals share aspects of themselves with others
3. Help students accept individual differences.
-198-
Key Concept: Evaluation of self-concept,
SELF-ESTEEM
The following activities will help students identify the
major factors which influence self-concept.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Discuss how peer pressure can influence self-image
and behavior. Explore peer influence in the following
areas.
a. keggars
b. drinking at school functions
c. drinking and driving
d. mixing alcohol with other drugs
2. Develop a class list of people who have had an effect
on building self-images of students.
3. Have the students complete the "Self-Esteem Evaluation"
sheets. Score the evaluation in the following way:
a. Total all ODD statements.
b. Total all EVEN statements.
c. Substract EVEN statements from ODD statements.
d. A perfect score would be 39.
4. Discuss setting personal goals to raise self-esteem.
a. Try to raise your rating on ODD numbered statements
which were rated 0 or 1.
b. Try to lower your rating on EVEN numbered state-
ments which were rated 2 or 3 .
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Division, State of
Montana Teachers Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades 7-12,
(Helena, Mt., High School, 1979), pp. 49, 51.
•199-
SELF-ESTEEM EVALUATION
Score as follows: 3 - True
2 - Largely true
1 - Somewhat true
0 - Not true
STATEMENT OF PRESENT CONDITION OR ACTION
I usually do my own thinking and make by own decisions.
I often justify or rationalize my mistakes and defeats.
I rarely experience envy, jealousy, or suspicion.
Losing usually causes me to feel "less than."
I normally let others be "wrong" without attempting
to correct them.
I am very concerned about what others think of me.
I am free of guilt, shame and remorse.
I feel vulnerable to others' opinions, attitudes,
and comments.
I am not prejudiced toward religious, racial or
ethnic groups.
I tend to look down on my own achievements and talents,
I willingly accept the consequences of my actions.
I often exaggerate and lie to maintain a desired image.
I normally feel warm and friendly toward all people.
I usually feel inadequate to handle a new or
changing situation.
I freely express love, hostility, joy, anger.
I am very often belittling or critical of others.
I am normally poised and comfortable with new people.
I try hard to please people.
I speak up for my own opinions and convictions.
I have a strong need for recognition and approval.
(continued)
-200-
POINTS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
^■H^H^BHB^nBHrawaMHMHMMI^l^Hi^B^^^HaHHHHHBHBaB^HHi^^H^^H
21. I normally anticipate new endeavors with a positive
expectance and confidence.
22. I often brag about myself and my achievements.
2 3. I accept my own authority and do what I think is right.
24. I am often embarrassed by the actions of my family
or associates.
25. I accept compliments and gifts without embarrassment.
-201-
Key Concept: Improvement of self-concept.
LISTENING TO SELF
The following activity will help students identify a
variety of ways to feel good.
ACTIVITY:
Make copies of "Listening to Myself" worksheet and
give a copy to each student in the class. Have the
students list on the worksheet ten activities that they
really love to do. Mark each catagory with a Yes or No,
Discuss the answers on the worksheet. Ask the
following questions.
a. What influence does your family have on your
feelings towards these activities?
b. What influence do your peers have on your
feelings towards these activities?
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Montana Alcohol & Drug Division, State of
Montana Teachers Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades 7-12,
(Helena, MT, High School, 1979), pp. 46, 48.
-202-
— : — n rrrm
o <T\ cd i> <x> m *& . ro cn
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
LISTENING TO MYSELF
. THINGS I LOVE TO DO!
Costs $2 or more each time
Done primarily alone
Done primarily with others
School - or job-related
Can still do this after age 40
Requires good health to do
Done when I am already happy
Date I last did this activity
Activity requires alcohol or
other drug to enjoy
My parents do this activity
My parents did not do this activity
Done primarily when I'm depressed
-203-
Key Concept: Identification of personal qualities.
" — ING" NAME TAGS
The following activities offer fun, non-threatening ways
for students to identify personal qualities about themselves.
ACTIVITIES:
1. Give each student a large 5" X 7" index card or piece of
paper and a safety or straight pin. Ask every student to
write his/her first name with crayon or marker in large
letters on the card so it will be visible across the
room. Then they are to write five or six words ending
in " — ing" which tell something about who they are, e.g.,
piano-playing, reading, fun-loving, fighting, baseballing,
etc. They should write these words anywhere on their
cards on the same side as their names.
2. Ask the students to turn their cards over and write their
names again, in big letters. This time they are to write
five or six words that report specific facts or statistics
about themselves. They might write their addresses, phone
numbers, height, number of brothers or sisters, last names, etc.
3. When they have completed both sides, ask them to choose
the side they will show to the group. The students then
fasten their tags to their clothes.
4. Ask everyone to get up and mill about the room in random
fashion, reading each other's name tags, looking at
clothes, eyes, faces, shaking hands, and asking questions
if they feel like it. Ask that this be done with or
without words. Of course, the teacher participates too.
5. Variations:
Instead of " — ing" words, other stems which can be used
are as follows:
— able (touchable, reasonable, breakable, lovable,
improvable)
— ful (beautiful, trustful, wasteful, angerful, spiteful)
— ist (optimist, botanist, cyclist, realist, specialist)
— less (careless, penniless, merciless, hopeless,
errorless)
USED WITH PERMISSION: Life Skills for Health: Focus on Mental
Health 4-6, (Division of Health, Safety, and Physical Education,
North Carolina Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh, N.C., 1974),
pp. 7-8.
-204-
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Key Concept: Enhancement of self-concept by recognizing and
sharing meaningful information about one's self.
SHARING BAGS
In many classes students never have an opportunity to
get acquainted with their classmates. All of us share a need
for meaningful interpersonal relationships. However, many
times creating a classroom environment conducive to positive
interaction is awkward and difficult. This activity could be
a good starting point for teachers who seek to facilitate
growth in interpersonal relationships among students.
ACTIVITY:
1. Distribute paper bags, one to each student. Instruct
the students to select decorations from material scraps,
magazines, pictures, etc. Have the students illustrate
on the outside of the bags how they think other people
see them.
2. On the inside of the bag, have students illustrate how
they see themselves -- how they really are.
3. Upon completion, the bags may be shared with the entire
class, with a small group, or with a partner. Following
are questions which may be asked at the end of the activity,
a. How did you feel when sharing your creation?
b. What are some of the ways you are different from
the ways others see you?
c. How accurately do you think you perceive yourself?
d. Do you feel good about the way others perceive you,
about the way you perceive yourself?
USED WITH PERMISSION: Beier, Barbara, "Enhancing Positive Self-
Concept Through Creativity in the Classroom, " Health Education,
Vol. 12, #2, Mar/April, 1981, p. 35.
-205-
nlconol tJucation
m the
Totdf Curricufum
INTRODUCTION
•
One approach in teaching alcohol education is to implement
it into the total curriculum. Listed below are the page
numbers of activities which could be used in specific subject
areas.
ART:
Pages 27, 44, 45, 52, 58, 98, 116, 120, 205, 208
HISTORY/GOVERNMENT :
Pages 26, 30, 37, 54, 72, 98, 101, 147, 189, 210
LANGUAGE ARTS/ENGLISH:
Pages 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 25, 27,
33, 34, 36, 40, 42, 47, 57, 59, 63, 65, 69, 70, 72,
75, 77, 78, 80, 84, 86, 91, 93, 98, 100, 102, 104,
109, 111, 113, 116, 118, 119, 123, 125, 136, 138,
141, 144, 145, 147, 152, 154, 157, 172, 174, 177,
178, 185, 199, 204, 205, 208, 209, 210
MATH:
Pages 33, 65, 70, 93, 110, 138, 141, 202, 209
PHYSICAL EDUCATION/HEALTH:
Pages 4, 5, 7, 18, 19, 23, 24, 28, 36, 37, 40, 47, 59,
65, 69, 70, 75, 77, 84, 86, 91, 93, 101, 104, 109,
113, 116, 118, 123, 125, 136, 138, 141, 144, 145, 147,
154, 157, 177, 173, 199, 210, 212
SCIENCE:
Pages 5, 7, 23, 24, 28, 36, 47, 59, 65, 69, 70, 84, 86,
91, 93, 101, 104, 109, 113, 116, 123, 125, 136, 138,
141, 144, 145, 147, 154, 157, 177, 178, 199, 210
-206-
/Ktermtim
INTRODUCTION
People use alcohol for various reasons. One main reason
is to experience the feelings that alcohol provides. In
determining alternatives to alcohol use, it is essential to
look at the reasons alcohol is used. Following is a list of
possible reasons people use alcohol:
1 . to have fun ,
2. to escape,
3. to relax,
4. to be accepted by peers, and
5. to relieve boredom.
An alternatives-approach to alcohol use should focus on
activities which could take the place of experiences which
alcohol provides. Alternatives to alcohol must make people feel
good about themselves, and give them a sense of accomplishment
(Is Beer a Four Letter Word, p. 13) .
-207-
ALTERNATIVES: ACTIVITY #1
The following activity could be used in an art class or as
an after school project. The benefits of the following activity
include the following: a relief from boredom, a social time
spent with peers, a fun activity, and a positive sense of
accomplishment by being able to help others.
JUNIOR HIGH ORIENTATION BOOKLET
Provide the students with two or three examples of books
which describe a particular concept primarily through drawings.
(Charles Schultz ' Happiness is Walking Hand in Hand is a good
example) . Explain to your students that they have an opportunity
to help with the orientation of next year's seventh grade
students by developing a booklet which will be duplicated and
distributed to students who are currently in sixth grade. The
purpose of this booklet would be to help the new students under-
stand what junior high is really like. List situations which
reflect the realities of junior high, such as forgetting your
locker combination; being late to class, trying to make friends
in a new social group; working hard on homework; deciding whether
or not to smoke, drink, or make-out at a party. As individuals
or in small groups, ask students to design and create pictures
which would effectively describe to incoming students what
situations await them. Drawings might also suggest positive
ways for new students to handle those situations. As the
pages develop, allow time to discuss the issues involved,
especially those which relate to how students make decisions
about their behavior.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Activity slightly modified from NIAAA, Saying No
Drug Abuse Prevention Ideas for the Classroom, (U.S. Government
Printing Office: Washington, D.C., 1980), p. 6.
-208-
ALTERNATIVES: ACTIVITY #2
The following activity could be used in conjunction with
a school newspaper or as an assignment in a math class. The
benefits of such an activity include a social time spent with
peers, a relief from boredom, and an opportunity to reflect
on individual and group values.
STUDENT SURVEY
Introduce this activity by asking students to share their
knowledge of what a survey is and does. Provide examples of
survey questions and results (perhaps summaries of recent
Gallup or Harris polls) . With students, brainstorm a list of
possible topics for a survey of student behavior or attitudes.
As a group, select an appropriate topic. (Ideally, it
will relate in some way to peer or media pressure and students'
decisions about their behavior) . Depending on the writing
ability of your students, develop a questionnaire as a group
for topics to be covered by the questions. With the students,
discuss and decide on sampling, data collection, and data
analysis techniques - making sure that each student is involved
in as many phases of the survey as possible. Once the data
has been collected, organized into tables, charts, or graphs,
ask students to interpret the meaning of their findings.
These interpretations can be shared with other students through
Student Council, the student newspaper, or a special report
from the math class to the rest of the student body and the
faculty. Whenever appropriate, allow time for students to
share their opinions, ideas, and experiences relating to the
issues pertinent to the survey.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: Saying No: Drug Abuse Prevention Ideas For
The Classroom, (U.S. Government Printing Office: Washington,
D.C. 1980) , p. 12.
-209-
ALTERNATIVES: ACTIVITY #3
The greatest benefit of the following activity is that
it provides a social atmosphere for people where they will
not be harrassed with peer pressure to use alcohol. Rather,
the peer pressure will be just the opposite.
DRY DISCO
A dry disco can be set up and run in a lot of ways. It is
basically a place where teenagers can get together and have a
good time - legally and without alcohol - at night and on week-
ends. Dancing to recorded music would be the most obvious
activity but everything from rock concerts and more formal
dances to table tennis contests and arm wrestling matches could
be included. The only limit is your own imagination.
For a successful dry disco, have students be involved in
setting it up. Following is a list of ideas to give students
to get them started.
1. Make sure you have the support of your own group and
your group leaders. This would mean not only the guys
and girls working with you, but also teachers, the
student council, your school principal, church leaders,
YMCA/YWCA staff, and leaders of youth-related organ-
izations. This is not to say that you have to have
adult backing before you start looking for financial
support, but it can add needed credibility and show
existing support for the disco project.
2. While teenagers can and should take part in operating
and governing a dry disco, it is clear that some adult
or organization must commit time and money to the
running of the disco. The disco is, among other things,
a business. Some options in seeking financial support
are:
* city, town, or county government, probably
the recreation department
* a local business or corporation
* the Chamber of Commerce
the Jaycees or other community groups
*
Next, you and your new business partners should look
for an appropriate location for the disco. An elaborate
modern building is not needed to ensure success, and
the possibilities are endless: the basement of an office
building, a barn, an empty store, a church facility, an
existing club. As long as there is room for a beverage
bar, dance floor, some tables, and maybe a game area,
virtually any location will do.
-210-
mrrnimifnMMiiiiiniiiiiiiorir""— ■ —
The ongoing operation of the dry disco can be handled
through a board of directors made up of students and
owners. The key point is this: a successful disco
needs two things: good managment and customers. A
real partnership between students and owners is
crucial to a dry disco making it.
Atmosphere, decoration, and layout are most important.
Styles could range from Polynesian to futuristic. No
matter what style is chosen, it is important to have
an atmosphere which will be comfortable and appealing
to your customers.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: U.S. Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare,
Is Beer a Four Letter Word?, (Rockville, Maryland, 1981) , pp. 32-33
-211-
ALTERNATIVES: ACTIVITY #4
POSITIVE ADDICTIONS
Alcoholism is classified as a negative addiction. The
purpose in looking at alternatives to alcohol use is to help
people find positive addictions. Positive addictions are ones
which facilitate physical and psychological health. For
example:
Jogging Needlepoint
Meditation Hang-gliding
Cross-country motorcycle riding White water rafting
To reap the benefits of positive addictions, they must be
continuously maintained and practiced. The benefits of
positive addictions include relief from stress, anxiety,
depression, and anger (Forrest, 1983) .
Word of Caution: Positive addictions can be taken to the extreme,
making them negative addictions. For example, a jogger can
become so addicted to jogging that they destroy their health
by overdoing it (Forrest, 1983) .
-212-
HaumauHUBOMHuunnaMUB
ALTERNATIVES: ACTIVITY #5
PEER AND CROSS-AGE COUNSELING
Peer and cross-age counseling are becoming popular alterna-
tives to alcohol use. Peer and cross-age counseling provide
students with an opportunity to assume adult roles, become
actively involved in an activity, and develop positive self-
esteems through helping others.
CROSS-AGE COUNSELING: Junior high age students are assigned
to elementary students to help tutor children who are having
problems in school.
PEER COUNSELING: The emphasis is on the affective domain
rather than the academic. Peer counseling is done by
training students to lead rap sessions with younger
students or students of the same age. The rap sessions
are centered around topics of pertinent issues to the
students.
The following are group leadership skills which peer
counselors are taught to help them facilitate the rap session:
HELPING/FACILITATIVE RESPONSES
Communicating care
Showing support, acceptance, and
understanding
Listening by demonstrating attentive
behavior; eye contact, "uh-huh",
yes, nodding
Being honest and open, reporting own
feelings when appropriate
Focusing on feelings, labeling,
restating, paraphrasing, reflecting
Avoids moralizing and rejecting,
respecting feelings and attitudes
Offering relevant information
Confronting client when discrepancy
is perceived between feeling and
behavior or when client denies,
avoids, or projects responsibility
for feelings or behavior
NONHELPING/NONFACILITATIVE RESPONSES
Giving advice — "you should"
Ridiculing, putting down
Responding in a judgmental way,
developing a nonaccepting climate
Expressing sympathy or feeling
sorry for the client
Forming quick solutions for the
client's problem
Asking irrelevant questions for
counselor's benefit, not client's
Talking about self instead of
focusing on client
Denying a client's feeling; missing
the point of client concern
or responding to something
other than what he is commu-
nicating; not really listening
PUBLIC DOMAIN: It Starts With People: ■ Experiences in Drug
Abuse Prevention, (Porter, Novelli & Assoc. Inc.: Washington,
D.C. 1978) , pp. 27-30.
-213-
Parent Information
INTRODUCTION
Because of the denial system which is so strong when dealing
with teenage problem drinkers, parents are often the last to
know, or acknowledge that there is a problem. Parents need to
be educated of ways to communicate with their children about
drugs and what can be done if there is a problem. The following
pages could be copied and distributed to parents as a means of
educating them about alcohol and encouraging them to educate
their children.
-214-
TALKING TO YOUR TEENAGER
ABOUT
DRINKING AND DRIVING
Following are three reasons why parents should talk to their
teenagers about drinking and driving:
1. Parents have both a legal and moral responsibility
as well as a desire to protect the lives of their
children.
2. As found in the nationwide survey of teenagers conducted
for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
teenagers expect and want their parents to talk about
driving and drinking with them.
3. Each situation, each adolescent, and each set of parents
is different, so no one set of rules fits every case.
Parents must use judgment in deciding what approach
will be effective with their own children.
Communication is the key to talking to teenagers about drinking
and driving. Parents need to talk to their children and vice versa.
Following are some helpful hints on how to talk to your teenager
on this sensitive subject.
1. Honestly explore your own behavior when drinking and
driving before you talk with your teenager.
2. Be honest in expressing your feelings and in stating
your own values and preferences. Encourage the same
from your son or daughter.
3. Be calm, firm and consistent. Remember that you're sharing
information about drinking and driving. Don't put your
teenager on the witness stand or demand a confession.
4. Recognize that adolescents are not able to control all
the situations they find themselves in.
5. Tell your teenager you want to hear what he/she has to
say and to learn what he/she knows about drinking and
driving. Be a good listener, even when you may not agree.
6. Keep to the point. No matter where the discussion leads,
and no matter what kind of reaction you may get or may
feel, keep forcefully in mind that this discussion con-
cerns only the problem of drinking and driving or riding
as a passenger with someone who has.
7. Emphasize that you are concerned not with the car, but
with the preciousness of your teenager's life.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: "How to Talk to Your Teenager About Drinking
and Driving", U.S. Department of Transportation: Washington,
D.C., pamphlet, October 1975.
-215-
""'—"""—"'
EARLY DRUG ABUSE INTERVENTION
Early intervention to a suspected drug (alcohol) problem
is important. Intervention works best when it is practiced early,
before the continued drug use increases the likelihood of permanent
damage. If you suspect your child has a drug problem, act quickly,
but act calmly. Following are some suggestions to help in early
drug abuse intervention.
1. Don't Panic. Many young people experiment v/ith drugs at
some time in their lives; most will not become dependent.
2. Try to Talk With Your Children. Find out as much as
possible about the situation.
3. Consult Other Parents. Peer pressure in the drug scene
is very powerful. A group of parents acting together
against drug use, however, can break up that pressure
by affecting several members of a peer group.
4. Send away for a free pamphlet. The National Institute
on Drug Abuse has prepared another pamphlet called
Prevention for You and Your Friends. It is written for
young people and it tells them how they can help their
friends avoid drug abuse. Or send away for This Side Up,
a valuable source book for young people faced with making
decisions about drugs.
5. Be Informed About School and Community Programs, in case
it seems wise to refer children for counseling or other help,
6. Be Alert To Positive Alternatives. Assist the young in
discovering other physical, recreational, emotional,
mental, or spiritual alternatives to the drug experiences
that are just as much fun.
7. Become a Model . Parental misuse of drugs sets a double
standard when it comes to discouraging adolescent drug
abuse. To many young people, it seems that their
mothers and fathers are "popping" unneeded tranquilizers,
drinking heavily, or using diet pills more often than
their peers.
8. Start Prevention Now. An ounce of prevention is worth a
pound of cure, especially in the area of drug abuse. If
older children have gone through a period of drug use, use
the lessons learned to help with the younger ones.
INFORMATION RESOURCES
National Clearinghouse for Drug Abuse Information
National Institute on Drug Abuse
P. 0. Box 1701
Washington, DC 20013
-216-
National Clearinghouse for Mental Health Information
National Institute of Mental Health
5600 Fishers Lane
Room 11A-33
Rockville, MD 20857
National Clearinghouse for Alcohol Information
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
P.O. Box 2345
Rockville, MD 2 0 850
Technical Information Center
Office on Smoking and Health
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 1-16
Rockville, MD 20857
PUBLIC DOMAIN: National Institute on Drug Abuse, Drug Abuse
Prevention: For Your Family, (Porter, Novelli & Assoc, Inc. :
Washington, D.C., May 1980), pp. 14-15.
-217-
TEENAGE PROBLEM DRINKERS
Many parents are not aware of their teenager ' s drinking
problem until it is well out of hand. Following are some
guidelines for parents to follow when dealing with a teenage
problem drinker.
GUIDELINES FOR BUILDING A
HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE TEENAGE DRINKER
DO'S:
1.
Do take care of yourself
physically, psychologically
and spiritually.
DON * TS :
1. Don't permit yourself to
be abused.
2. Do take care of your teenage
drinker and family.
Do get help/therapy for
yourself, your teenage
drinker and your family.
Don't try to control or change
your teenager drinker — quit
blaming, nagging, and complaining
Don't deny your problems,
the drinker's problems or
avoid treatment.
4. Do continue to live
responsibly.
Don't accept responsibility
for your teenage drinker; stop
hiding or pouring out the
liquor, "covering up", and never
drink with your teenager.
6.
Do love yourself, your teenage
drinker and your family.
Do work at changing yourself,
and be committed to helping
your teenage drinker.
Don't develop a sense of
hatred and rejection toward
your teenage drinker.
Don't expect yourself or
your teenage drinker to stop
drinking or change overnight.
Do make every effort to get
your drinker into treatment and
be actively involved in his/her
treatment.
Do begin by practicing each of
these "do's" today.
Don't be afraid to demand
treatment for your teenage
drinker even if this means
utilizing legal procedures.
Don't wait until tomorrow or
next month to get help for
your teenage drinker, yourself
and your family.
Do realize that changing today
is the basis for expecting life
to be better tomorrow.
Don't expect relationship
growth and change in the
absence of your teenage
drinker's and your own
committment to treatment and
recovery.
-218-
10. Do commit yourself to the 10. Don't ever give up on your-
work of recovery. self, your teenage drinker
or your family relationship.
USED WITH PERMISSION: Guidelines taken directly from Forrest,
Dr. Gary. , How to Cope With A Teenage Drinker, (Fiarfield
Graphics: Fairfield, Pennsylvania, 1983), pp. 134-136.
-219-
HOW TO SPOT THE IMPAIRED DRIVER
Here are visual cues that indicate an impaired driver:
1. STOPPING WITHOUT CAUSE IN A TRAFFIC LANE.
2. FOLLOWING TOO CLOSELY.
3. TURNING WITH AN EXCESSIVELY WIDE RADIUS.
4. APPEARING GENERALLY TO BE DRUNK.
5. DRIVING ON OTHER THAN THE DESIGNATED ROADWAY.
6. STRADDLING THE CENTER LINE OR LANE MARKER.
7. ALMOST STRIKING AN OBJECT OR OTHER VEHICLE.
8. RESPONDING SLOWLY, OR NOT RESPONDING, TO TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
9. DRIVING AT NIGHT WITHOUT LIGHTS.
10. SIGNALLING INCONSISTENT WITH ACTIONS.
11. WEAVING, DRIFTING, OR SWERVING.
12. ACCELERATING OR DECELERATING RAPIDLY.
13. DRIVING UNREASONABLY FAST OR SLOW.
14. BREAKING ERRATICALLY.
15. TURNING ABRUPTLY OR ILLEGALLY.
16. DRIVING INTO OPPOSING OR CROSS TRAFFIC.
Any out-of-the-ordinary driving may mean that an alcohol-
impaired driver is behind the wheel.
Drive defensively — and be ready to report every drunk
driver immediately.
PUBLIC DOMAIN: "Drunk Drivers Wreck Families", Montana Dept.
of Institutions and Justice, Helena, MT.
•220-
~" II Mil I II 111 II IHiMIMll ■■!! ■ II IMI— IIIIIIIMllHIUMMii
fid
m
FILMS
The following films on alcohol are available at no charge
to the schools. It is highly recommended that these films
be scheduled early in the year as they are in high demand.
The films are available from the following places.
Gallatin County Health Department
Room 10 3
Courthouse
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 587-4297
Film Library
Planning & Evaluation Unit
Cogswell Building
State Department of Health & Environmental Sciences
Helena, MT 59601
(406) 449-3444
Audio-visual Department
Bozeman Public Schools
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 586-8211
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RECOMMENDED FILMS
UPPER ELEMENTARY:
JOEY & ME
A 10 minute color animated film. A 12 year old boy tells
a story of an older boy, whose mother is an alcoholic. The older
boy becomes an overachiever. Although a non-drinker himself,
the boy was killed in a car accident due to someone else's
drinking. This is a good film which depicts alcoholism, values
clarification, and decision-making about drinking.
Available From: Health & Environmental Sciences
UPPER ELEMENTARY:
ALCOHOL & DRUGS: HOW THEY AFFECT YOUR BODY
Excellent 20 minute color film that illustrates how alcohol
and drugs affect the body. Illustrations are done by computer
cartoons.
Available From: Bozeman Public Schools
UPPER ELEMENTARY:
WHAT'S WRONG WITH JONATHAN
A 15 minute color film which depicts the many pressures
a kid may face in a day. Excellent for getting a discussion
going on coping with pressure.
Available From: Health & Environmental Sciences
JUNIOR HIGH - HIGH SCHOOL:
IT CAN'T HAPPEN TO ME
Excellent 30 minute color film depicting the story of a
teenage alcoholic. This film shows the peer pressure placed
on teenagers to drink and shows the progression of alcoholism.
Available From: Health & Environmental Sciences.
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REC0MT4ENDED FILMS
HIGH SCHOOL:
BORN DRUNK
Excellent 10 minute color film showing examples of
children who were born with "fetal alcohol syndrome".
Available From: Health & Environmental Sciences
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
American Lung Association, Smoking Deserves A Smart Answer:
Adolescent Smoking Prevention Resource Guide, 1740 Broadway,
New York, NY 1983.
Beier, Barbara, "Enhancing Positive Self-Esteem Through Creativity
in the Classroom", Health Education, Vol. 12, #2, Mar /April, 19 81.
Borba, Michele and Craig, Self-Esteem: A Classroom Affair, Vol. 2,
Winston Press, Inc.: Minneapolis, MN 1982.
Chase, Larry, The Other Side of the Report Card, Scott, Foresman,
& Co.: Glenview, IL, 1975.
Cooper, JoAnn, & others, Decision-Making , TACT: Doylestown, PA, 19 79.
Corbin, David E. , "Health Games, Stimulations & Activities",
Health Education, July/Aug, 1980, Vol. 11, #4.
Cross, Wilbur, Kids & Booze: What you Must Know To Help Them,
A Sunrise Book, E.P. Dutton: New York, NY, 19 79.
Dolan, Joe, "Drinking Myths", Health Education, Mar/April, 1975, Vol. 6, #2,
"Drunk Drivers Wreck Families", Montana Department of Institutions
& Justice, Helena, MT.
Engs, Ruth, "Responsibility and Alcohol", Health Education,
Jan/Feb, 1981, Vol. 12, #1.
Engs, Ruth, "Teaching Strategies", Health Education, Nov/Dec,
1975, Vol. 6, #6.
"Fetal Alcohol Syndrome", Current Health 2, Curriculum Innovation,
Inc.: Highland Park, IL, 1978.
Finn, Peter, & others, Dial A-L-C-O-H-O-L and Jackson Junior High,
Abt. Associates: Cambridge, MA, 1977.
Forrest, Dr. Gary, How To Cope With A Teenager Drinker, Fairfield
Graphics, Fairfield, PA, 1983.
Harrison, Dorothy D. , Healthy That's Me, Bio-Dynamics, Inc.:
U.S. Dept. of Health, Education & Welfare, Office of Child
Development, Project Headstart, Washington, D.C., 19 72.
Introducing Alcohol Education in the Elementary School K-4,
American School Health Association: Kent, OH 1978.
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It Starts With People, Experiences In Drug Abuse Prevention,
Porter, Novelli, & Assoc, Inc.: Washington, D.C., 1978.
Langone, John, Bombed, Buzzed, Smashed, or Sober, Little,
Brown & Co. : Boston, MA, 1976
Life Skills for Health: Focus on Mental Health 4-6, North
Carolina Department of Public Instruction: Raleigh, NC, 1974.
ME: The New Model, Lakewood City Public School System, Lakewood,
OH, 1973.
Mills, Kenneth C. & others, Handbook for Alcohol Education: The
Community Approach, Ballinger Publishing Co.: Cambridge, MA, 1983.
Montana Alcohol & Drug Abuse Division, State of Montana Teacher's
Guide for Alcohol Education: Grades K-12, Helena, MT, 1979.
Montana State Department of Institutions, Montana Comprehensive
Plan for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and
Rehabilitation, Alcohol & Drug Division: Helena, MT, 19 83.
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Drug Abuse Prevention: For
Your Family, Porter, Novelli & Assoc, Inc.: Washington, D.C.,
May , 19 8 0.
National Institute on Drug Abuse, Saying No: Drug Abuse Prevention
Ideas for the Classroom, Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office: Washington, D.C., 1980.
Ohio Department of Education, Alcohol & Other Drugs: A
Curriculum Guide, Division of School Finance, Columbus, OH, 19
Simon, Sidney B. & others, Values Clarification: A Handbook of
Practical Strategies For Teachers & Students, Hart Publishing
Co., Inc.: New York, NY., 1978.
Smith, Arden & others, Giving Kids a Piece of the Action,
TACT: Doylestown, PA, 1977.
Stanish, Bob, Connecting Rainbows, Good Apple, Inc. : Carthage, IL, 1982
Taking Risks: Activities & Materials for Teaching About Alcohol,
Other Drugs, & Traffic Safety, Book I, Elementary Edition,
California State Department of Education, Sacramento, CA, 1979.
Taking Risks: Activities & Materials for Teaching About Alcohol,
Other Drugs, & Traffic Safety, Book II, Secondary Edition,
California State Department of Education, Sacramento, CA, 1979.
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Teper-Singer, Lynn, "Choices", Health Education, Nov/Dec, 1975,
Vol. 6 #6.
Toohey, Jack V- , & Thomas L. Dezelsky, "A Values Clarification
Project in Southern Mexico", Health Education, May/June, 1979,
Vol. 10, #3.
U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Alcohol and
Health, NIAAA: Rockville, MD.
U.S. Department of Transportation, "How To Talk To Your Teenager
About Drinking and Driving", Washington, D.C., October, 1975.
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